Names That Mean Worthy

Harvey, which was brought to England by the Normans, is a genial, old-timey name that has been much more popular across the pond in the UK. It was a Top 100 choice in England & Wales from 1997 until 2021, though 2022 saw it fall just slightly.

In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh.

An energetic nickname name occasionally encountered in England, particularly among Telegraph-reading circles. It is traditionally short for Antigone, but nowadays it's just as often bestowed as a standalone name.

The quirky nickname Tig is exceedingly rare, but historically has been used as a short form of Antigone. Today, many people are familiar with the name via comedian Tig Notaro. Notaro was born Mathilde — she was dubbed Tig by her brother Renaud when he had difficulty pronouncing her given name.

In literature identified with The Sorrows of Young Werther -- not much to wish on a child.

Seems to cry out for another syllable.

Hervé was a legendary French saint, patron of the blind, who performed many miracles -- it's a lot more sophisticated than the English Harvey.

Model Jessica Hart brought this word name into the spotlight in 2022, when she chose it for her newborn son — brother to Baby-Rae. Glorious has historically only been used as a girl name, but it works equally well on boys.

Short form of Harvey, variation of Harve.

Despite fitting in with the modern word name trend, Glorious has been in use since 1925, when it first appeared on the charts for girls. At peak usage, it was given to 15 baby girls in 1948, although we expect this could rise now that model Jessica Hart used it for her son.