Names That Mean Ancient

  1. Samaria
    • Origin:

      Place-name, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "to guard, to keep"
    • Description:

      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 with the Biblical story of "The Good Samaritan" who came from Samaria. Derived from shamar meaning "to guard" this name was chosen for 100 girls in 2023 in the US.
  2. Thesally
    • Origin:

      from the Greek Thessaly, a region of Ancient Greece
    • Description:

      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 of the Thessaly region.
  3. Jerusalema
    • Origin:

      Variation of Jerusalem, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "city of the ancient god Shalem"
    • Description:

      Jerusalema is the name of a viral song released by Master KG, a South African DJ, in 2019. The #JerusalemaChallenge was an international sensation during Summer 2020, and in 2021, Jerusalema debuted on the baby name charts when it was given to six baby girls.
  4. Sebbe
    • Origin:

      Swedish variation of Sebastian
    • Meaning:

      "person from ancient city of Sebasta"
    • Description:

      This Swedish form of Sebastian would work nicely as a nickname.
  5. Qadim
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "ancient"
    • Description:

      More frequently seen with the Kadeem spelling, as in actor Kadeem Hardison.
  6. Donar
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "ancient thunder god"
    • Description:

      Futuristic, in a 1930s kind of way.
  7. Keenen
    • Origin:

      Variation of Keenan
    • Meaning:

      "ancient"
    • Description:

      Energetic name that's keen to please.
  8. Ciannait
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "ancient"
    • Description:

      Feminine form of Cian, a name from Irish legend.
  9. Keenan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "ancient"
    • Description:

      A lively boys' name that works well for girls.
  10. Palmira
    • Origin:

      Latin, from Palmyra, ancient Syrian city
    • Meaning:

      "palm tree; pilgrim"
    • Description:

      A place name relating to the tropical palm tree, or a feminine form of Palmiro, meaning "pilgrim".
  11. Jerusalem
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Meaning:

      "city of the ancient god Shalem"
    • Description:

      Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.
  12. Seppo
    • Origin:

      Finnish variation on Sebastian, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "person from the ancient city of Sebastia"
    • Description:

      Seppo has two separate Finnish origins. The first is as a nickname for Sebastian, a name used widely across Europe. The second version is derived from the Finnish word seppä, meaning "smith."
  13. Priscillia
    • Origin:

      Variation of Priscilla
    • Meaning:

      "ancient"
    • Description:

      Fanciful variation of already extravagant name. You might recognize it as the name of Swiss Olympian Priscillia Annen.
  14. Lindus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "Ancient Greek place name"
    • Description:

      Lindus or Lindos was one of the most important towns in ancient Rhodes. Lindus also was the native place of Cleobulus, one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
  15. Jerusalem
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Meaning:

      "city of the ancient god Shalem"
    • Description:

      Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.

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