Names That Mean Leader

The patron saint of comedians and dancers (also known as St Vitus) has a name that is both the ultimate everyman, and has a hint of British aristocracy. In the States, Guy was most popular in the 1950s. Now he hovers steadily below the Top 1000, in the sweet spot of familiar but not overused. With the meteoric rise of Kai, Guy may have potential with parents looking for a more classic name with a similar sound.

Fallon is one of several boyish surname names introduced in the over-the-top 1980s nighttime soap Dynasty. Despite being a "mom" name, Fallon is making a surprise comeback. It returned to the US Top 1000 in 2019 and has been rising since then, as a new generation of parents fall in love with the sound. It is especially popular in the Southern states.

Elva is a multicultural choice, being both an anglicization of the Irish Ailbhe and an feminine form of the name Alf, meaning "elf". Popular in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, it remained in the charts until the 1970s before falling out of favor.

Fallon was one of the first of the unisex surname names, but thanks to "Dynasty" in the 1980s it now has a feminine image. For a boy, try Phelan instead.

Particularly popular in Turkey towards the end of the 20th century, this was the name of a 14th-century sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The name Orhan jumped in use in 2022, given to 81 babies in the US, while in the UK, it was one of the fastest rising boys names, jumping an impressive 470 places up the charts.

If Ellie and Evie are fashionable, why not Elvie? This is a diminutive of the Anglicized version of the Irish name spelled Ailbhe.

Warrick has recently come into the spotlight as the character Warrick Brown on the TV show CSI. The more conventional spelling is Warwick, a medieval English noble name.

Guido was very popular in Renaissance Italy, with many namesakes including painter Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro) and mathematician Guido Fubini. Guy Fawkes, of gunpowder plot fame, sometimes used this version. Nowadays it's unfairly overlooked, but in the current trend for snappy international names ending in -o, this cultured gem deserves more use.

A name that could set an Indian boy on a path to leadership.

Alakai is an Anglicization of Alaka'i, a Hawaiian name meaning "leader" and the name of a swamp and wilderness preserve on the island of Kaua'i. Its traditional pronunciation would beah-lah-kah-ee, however, some parents as using it as an invented name inspired by Malakai, with the sounds of the much loved Kai at the end.

Known in America via the wife of Soviet head Mikhail Gorbachev; a possibility for parents of Eastern-European descent wanting to move beyond Natasha and Nadia or for parents from the Middle East looking for a name that works in both cultures.

Name long associated with eloquent Black Panther activist Eldridge Cleaver and jazz great Roy Eldridge.

An ancient Welsh name belonging to an early modern king and saint, among others. The Irish cognate, Cathal, is more widely known.

A lovely Hawaiian boy's name with a bold meaning — and a beautiful one to bestow upon a son. While the letters are all there for the trendy nickname Kai, this name is pronounced "ah-lah-kah ee", with a break between the last two syllables.

Pastor might be a brother for Parson and Deacon.

A fictional name from the League of Legends video game franchise. Its meaning has been suggested as "fighter, leader or powerful", due to the carrot.

Welsh for "lion", or a nickname for Llewelyn. Could make a cooler substitute for the blander Lou.

Sheikh, the Arabic royal title turned name, is among the Top 1000 boys' names in the UK though undiscovered in the US. With the ascendance of such royal names as King and Reign, Sheikh is sure to become more acceptable as a first name, even (dare we say?) chic.

This cool Tamil option means "leader".

This name is related to Derek and Dietrich, either of which would be preferable.