Names That Mean Pledge

Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge.

Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style revival.

The mostly Americanized version of Geoffrey was a trendy mid-century hit, with nickname Jeff the epitome of cool. Jeffrey entered the pop list in 1934 and was a Top 20 name from the mid-fifties to 1978.

Homer is a name that has traveled from the ancient Greek scribe of the great classical epics to Bart Simpson's doltish dad, and has also become the surprise hot celebrity pick of such parents as Richard Gere (his father's name), Bill Murray, and Anne Heche. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has both a father and a son named Homer.

In the US, this spelling is less common than mid-century favorite Jeffrey, and it has faded from popularity faster. This more British spelling is the usual form for historical figures like Geoffrey Chaucer and the Welsh historian Geoffrey of Monmouth, and as such it may feel more rooted and enduring.

Ghislaine still sounds unusual to us, even though in France this name is dated. It can also be spelled Ghislain.

This appealing Italian name is associated with the great Florentine painter and architect Giotto di Bondone, a major force in the Italian Renaissance.

The ultimate dad name.

Omero lifts Homer out of both The Simpsons and The Odyssey, making it a romantic name ala Romeo. Some sources give the meaning of Omero and Homer as "hostage".

This feminine form of Arliss, is familiar via the recent HBO series. But why not just use Arliss?

Originally a short form of names beginning with either of the elements gêr "spear" or gisil "pledge, hostage". Now usually a short form of Gertrud.

Best remembered as one of the boys in "Old Yeller" and the title of a late 1990s HBO sitcom, "Arliss," featuring sports agent Arliss Michaels. Also sometimes heard as a girl's name and a surname (as in early film star George Arliss).

Fresher diminutive form of Gertrud

Arliss is most famous as the name of a few high-profile male characters, though it can just as easily work for a baby girl.

This weighty ancient name could be the perfect fits-in-stands-out choice for fans the increasingly fashionable group of girls' names that both start and end in A.

Dutch form of Gisbert

Fitzgibbon comes from the obsolete name Gibbon, a diminutive of Gib, which is a medieval short form of Gilbert. That makes Fitzgibbon a subtle way to honor an ancestral Gilbert — you could always call him by the more modern nickname Fitz.

Probably related to Gilbert, from the same Germanic root: gisil, meaning "pledge" or "hostage". The Gis- syllable may also derive from Celtic gaiso "spear".

Actress Geffri Maya Hightower, known for her roles in Private Practice and All American, introduced fans to her one-of-a-kind feminization of the hit mid-century boy name Jeffrey. So far, her name hasn't inspired any copycats, but as she continues to rise to stardom, we may start to see baby girls named Geffri pop up. Appropriately, Hightower's Instagram handle is @girlwithaboysname.