Names That Mean Ancient
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Sebastian
Latin from Greek
"person from ancient city of Sebastia, venerable"
With international flair and elegance, Sebastian is a saintly, Shakespearean and Disney-inspired choice: refined, classic-yet-unconventional, and totally in tune with other popular choices like…
Priscilla
Latin, diminutive of Prisca
"ancient"
Despite her somewhat prissy, puritanical air, Priscilla has managed to stay widely used for well over a century -- it reached as high as Number 127 in 1940 -- appreciated for its delicacy and solid…
Flavia
Latin
"golden, blond"
An ancient Roman clan name, Flavia is one choice that's unusual but historic. Now a Top 60 name in Italy, Flavia has been a rarity in the US, but with the upswing in F names for girls, this could…
Keenan
Irish
"ancient"
A lively boys' name that works well for girls.
Lavinia
Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…
Palmira
Latin, from Palmyra, ancient Syrian city
"palm tree; pilgrim"
A place name relating to the tropical palm tree, or a feminine form of Palmiro, meaning "pilgrim".
Samaria
Place-name, Hebrew
"to guard, to keep"
Similar to but distinct from Samara, this pretty name was chosen for his daughter by rapper LL Cool J. It's the name of an ancient Palestinian city, located in present-day Jordan, and is associated…
Tyra
Scandinavian, feminine variation of Tyr, an ancient Indo-European god
High profile supermodel/entrepreneur Tyra Banks has put this name in the spotlight, endowing it with her confident, superattractive image.
Tuesday
English
"Tiu's Day; Tiw's day"
When actress Susan Ker Weld changed her name to Tuesday, she opened up a whole calendar of possibilities. This was decades before the arrival of Sunday Rose Urban and years before Wednesday Addams…
Bastien
French and Spanish, diminutive of Sebastien
"person from ancient city of Sebastia"
In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America. There is a one-act comic opera by Mozart titled Bastien and Bastienne . An alternate…
Cian
Irish
"ancient"
A handsome Irish name for boys, very popular in that country, but in the US this traditional spelling might cause pronunciation problems. Still, whether Cian or Kian, it's simple and straightforward…
Keenan
Irish
"ancient"
This name of three ancient saints, one Wayans brother, and an NFL wide receiver makes an energetic choice.
Donar
German
"ancient thunder god"
Futuristic, in a 1930s kind of way.
Keenen
Variation of Keenan
"ancient"
Energetic name that's keen to please.
Nen
Egyptian
"ancient waters"
Couldn't be simpler...or more worldly — though it could lead to some head-scratching.
Qadim
Arabic
"ancient"
More frequently seen with the Kadeem spelling, as in actor Kadeem Hardison.
Serge
French variation of ancient Roman family name Sergius
"servant"
Old saints' and popes' name that went to France in the 1920s with the Russian Ballets Russes; in its Russian form, Sergei, it retains an artistic, almost effete air.
Kennon
Scottish and Irish
"ancient"
This is one of several similar sounding Gaelic surname names that would make perfectly acceptable choices--others are Kennan, Keenan and Kenyon. Another possible meaning is "descendant of the fair…
Thesally
from the Greek Thessaly, a region of Ancient Greece
Thessaly is the name of an area of Greece, known for being near Mount Olympus. This variation lends itself to the nickname Sally. You may also wish to consider the name Larissa, which is the capital…
Traian
Romanian variation of Ancient Roman Traianus, meaning unknown
Traian derives from Traianus, a Roman emperor and military genius who conquered ancient Dacia, which corresponds to modern-day Romania and Moldova. Popular a generation ago, Traian is best known…