Updated November 2023
Across 2 pages
of 2
Latin
"chief, prince"
Prince rose to its highest ranking in a century in 2015, and the tragic death of its most famous bearer in April 2016 propelled it even higher. The Purple Rain legend isn't its only tie to pop…
Irish
"prince"
According to Irish legend, Saint Brendan the Voyager was the first European to touch American soil, and his name has been established here for decades, peaking in the late 1990s. Brendan first…
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
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…
Slavic
"great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"
Vladimir is a cultured and deep-rooted Slavic name associated in this country with cultural figures including piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz and the author of Lolita , Vladimir Nabokov. The name…
Sanskrit, Hindi
"young king, prince"
Yuvraj is one of the many longer forms of the popular Indian name Raj. Yuvraj Singh is a professional Indian cricket player.
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.
Feminine variation of Amir, Arabic
"commander, prince"
Emira is one of those pan-international names that feels pleasant enough but seems so unrooted to any one culture that it might as well be made up.
Ethiopian, Ge'ez
Leul is not a traditional Ethiopian name, but rather, a 20th-century Ethiopian title from the Ge'ez language. Leul, or Leoul, was used for sons and grandsons of the Emperor from 1916 until the…
Welsh
"bear prince"
This Welsh name, also used in France, is the name of a 6th century saint who went to Brittany and established abbeys. Armel has a pleasant and familiar sound, making it easily used outside of Wales…
The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by…
English, French and Breton
An elaboration on the Breton name Maël or Maëlle, or an English combination of Mae and Ella.
Feminization of Volodya, Russian
"renowned prince"
Vola comes from Volodya, a masculine Russian name that is often used as a nickname for Vladimir.
Spanish and Italian from German
"the father of the noble prince"
Appealing, upbeat name used mainly in Spanish-speaking countries.
French
The name of a sixth century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany, reconstituted for a modern girl.
Another female relative of Saint Mael.
Indonesian
A strong Indonesian name that's easy to translate to the English-speaking world.
Welsh diminutive
"mighty prince"
A Welsh saint who is the namesake of the village of St Breock in Cornwall, and is also venerated in Brittany. The name is a diminutive of Briafael ("mighty prince"). Variants include: Breock, Bryok,…
Cornish
"battle prince"
A rare Welsh name with a wonderful meaning, Cadfael is the name of the detective monk character in Ellis Peters' medieval murder mysteries. It's usually pronounced CAD-vyle in Welsh, although Peters…