Names That Mean Mighty

A surprise recent hit revival with cutting-edge British, Tribeca and Malibu parents; Tillie, also spelled Tilly, is cute, frilly, and sassy all at once. Tilly is currently Number 90 on the England-Wales popularity list, joining such other Top 100 nickname names as Milly, Maisie, Kitty and Lottie. Tillie along with these other short forms transform proper names rooted in other cultures into true English names for girls.

A rarely used last-name-first-name, never as popular as cousins Garrett or Derek.

This distinguished surname belonged to one of Ireland's great princely families. Its many variations include Rourke (as in actor Mickey), and O'Rourke. The family surname is thought to be one of the oldest in the world, originating in the tenth century, following the death of a young prince named Ruarc. It has literary cred via Howard Roark, the protagonist of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

Original and straightforward, but with little appeal.

Unusual Asian option, and also the name of the Dwarf Lord from Lord of the Rings.

Old World Jewish name that could travel to the New.

Ido is a multicultural name seldom heard in modern America but popular in the Middle East. As transliterations, Ido and its other form Iddo are equally correct.

The Biblical Addar was a son of King Bela. This obscure name is simple and strong and well-suited to modern life.

Unisex Swahili name rising in popularity. Musician Jelani Aryeh may be an influence.

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, Breok, Briec, Brieuc, Briog.

This was the name of a 13th-century saint, a Mercedarian friar who was martyred by pirates. It derives from the name of the Greco-Egyptian bull god Serapis.

One of the names of Allah, this name is also associated with basketball great Kareem Abdul Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr.).

Unisex Swahili name rising in popularity. Musician Jelani Aryeh may be an influence, as well as American's recent love for a multitude of names ending in -lani, such as popular Leilani and Kehlani.

This Old Testament name, also translated as Ido, is well-used in the modern Middle East but nearly unknown in the US. The Biblical Iddo was a minor prophet who lived in the time of Solomon.

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, Brioc, Briec, Brieuc, Briog.