Names That Mean War
Across 2 pages
of 2
Hadewych
Dutch
"war"
The Dutch form of Hedwig, also spelled Hadewijch, borne by actress Hadewych Minis. Hedy is the cute retro short form.
Merrion
Welsh
"of Mars, god of war"
Anglicized spelling of Meirion, the Welsh form of Marianus.
Vojtěch
Czech from Slavic
"joyous warrior, he who enjoys war"
Saint Adalbert of Prague was born in Bohemia as Vojtěch. He was a bishop in Prague and later served as a missionary in Hungary, Poland, and Prussia. Vojtěch chose Adalbert as his confirmation name to…
Wojciech
Polish from Slavic
"joyous warrior, he who enjoys war"
A common choice in Poland, where it honors St. Adalbert of Prague — born Vojtěch, the Czech form of Wojciech — the patron saint of Poland.
Marian
Polish, Czech and Romanian form of Marianus/Marius
"related to Mars, Roman god of war"
An attractive and little-known member of the group of romantic, Euro-chic boys' names ending in -ian: think Julian, Fabian, Florian, Adrian. The visually identical but etymologically unrelated female…
Jadwiga
Polish variation of Hedvig, German
"war"
A sweet but spiky form of Hedwig, Jadwiga recently ranked in the Top 100 in Poland. Its popularity may owe something to Jadwiga, a 14th century ruler of Poland, who was crowned "king", not queen. The…
Hédi
Hungarian variation of Hedvig
"war"
Vitani
Fictional name from Swahili
"demon of war"
The name of one of the antagonists in the 1998 Lion King sequel Simba's Pride . The character was originally named Shetani, which means "devil" in Swahili, but this name was later combined with…
Heddi
Variation of Hedda. Scandinavian from German
"war"
Heddi ultimately derives from Hedvig, which may not appeal to many American parents as a full form.
Kilian
German variation of Cillian, Irish
"war strife; church"
This German spelling of the classic Irish Cillian is heard throughout Europe — it's a popular choice in France as well.
Osyth
English
"god war"
Saint Osyth was a 7th century martyr who founded a monastery and was beheaded by pirates. She is usually depicted in images carrying her own head. Variations of her name include Osgyth, Osith, and…
Marcy
Diminutive of Marcia
"Mars, god of war"
Marcy is about as hip as bobby sox and saddle shoes – which is to say, it's probably due a revival in the not-too-distant future! It was a typical Peanuts character name, which peaked in the…
Jagna
Diminutive of Agnieszka or Jadwiga, Polish
"pure, virginal; war"
Kacie
English variation of Casey, Irish
"brave in battle"
A respelling of Casey, with a slightly softer look and a hint of classic Katie about it. It ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 80s and 80s, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Less popular than it once…
Wyatt
English surname
"brave in war"
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher named their daughter Wyatt in 2014, making it a viable option for girls, and more recently NFL player Jason Kelce and podcaster Kylie Kelce used it for their older…
Edie
English, diminutive of Edith
"prosperous in war"
Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a…
Edwige
French from German Hedwig
"war"
Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat highlighted this sophisticated, chignon-wearing choice for literate parents.
Hedwig
German
"war"
An ancient German saint's name – and most famously the name of Harry Potter's snowy owl – but the combination of "head" plus "wig" feels a little too literal in English.
Ludovica
Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic
"famous in war"
This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls . Currently very popular in its…
Vigdis
Norwegian
"war goddess"
This strong Norwegian name war goddess name, commonly heard in both midcentury Norway and Iceland, has never ventured far beyond its native culture.