Latin Names

With the rise of many once-dated leonine names, from Leona to Lionel to Leonora, Leandra is an unusual choice that might be looking at a comeback..

Leandra

Sweet and cosy, but with a bit of kick, Marcie is a diminutive of Marcella, Marceline, and similar. Ultimately derived from Latin and related to Mars, the Roman god of war, Marcie has been a fast rising choice in England and Wales in recent years, though in the US, it remains a retro choice.
 
An alternative to the popular Maisie and Darcy, it appears in the comic strip Peanuts.

Marcie

Cary Grant's debonair image has stood the test of time: he is still rated as one of the most handsome and admired men in Hollywood. Charming, succinct, and witty, Cary (also spelled Carey) was a familiar choice throughout most of the 20th-century, peaking in the 50s and 60s when it made the Top 300. Out of favor since the 90s, could Cary be ready for reconsideration, now that Kerry and Carrie aren't as popular for girls?
 
Usually considered an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Ciardha, the name ultimately comes from ciar meaning "black". Other sources occasionally link it to the Welsh Carew, meaning "fort on the hill", to the Irish mac Fiachra meaning "descendant of the crow", to the Byronic karɨd meaning "to love", or to the German Gehring, meaning "spear".

Cary

Claudio, a most appealing Italian name, is featured in not one, but two Shakespearean plays, ,Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing. While "lame" is the most widely acknowledged meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-attractive name.

Claudio

Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora. 

Annora

Justine is a French name that's never reached the popularity we think it deserves. Like its far-more-common brother Justin, Justine is sleek, and sophisticated, but still user-friendly. 
 Justine has had a very erratic popularity path in this country. It first was noticed in the late 1950's via the eponymous novel that was part of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quarter, but reached its highest peak--at Number 175-- in the eighties, during the TV run of Family Ties, featuring Justine Bateman. Justine is still a Top 60 name in its native France.

Justine

Short and slight, with great potential now that names like Ava, Ida and Orla are popular.
Ora Beach is a tourist destination on Seram Island, Indonesia.

It's a futuristic name in Solaris, but it is also related to Rhea, the name of Zeus's mother and wife of Cronus.

Rheya

Verena is pleasant but old-fashioned. Whether that's the outdated kind of old-fashioned or the so-out-it's-in-again kind is your call. 
 St. Verena was a third century nurse; Verena Tarrant is a beautiful red-haired character in the Henry James novel The Bostonians.

Verena

Acacius is a Latinized form of the Ancient Greek Akakios and can be interpreted to relate to the same root as the name Acacia, for the thorn bush, or Akakios which means "not evil."  With the modern taste for ancient names that end in "us," this obscure but attractive choice may have a chance of new life.  Acacius is the name of three early saints.

Acacius

Classic Italian name with celestial vibes. 

Celestino

Juniper is a nature name that we really like. While it's trendiest for girls -- about 2500 baby girls were named Juniper in 2022 versus 34 baby boys -- the most notable Juniper in history was the saint Brother Juniper, a follower of Saint Francis renowned for his generosity.  Blessed Junipero Serra, who founded the first of the California Missions, took his name from the earlier Saint Juniper.

Juniper

The menu of usable month names seems to expand every, well, month, with such choices as November, October, and January joining more established names like April, May, June and August. Logical November nicknames include Nova, Novi, or Ember, making this a natural (if adventurous) choice for a baby girl. November is also, obviously, one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/605/names-for-november-babies">names for November babies</a>.

November

Amity--what nicer gift to give your little girl than a name that signifies friendship and harmony? This virtue name is also more rhythmic and feminine than the single-syllable Hope, Faith, and Grace. 
 Amity is a neglected gem that could make a distinctive namesake for an Aunt Amy.

Amity

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.
 Fellow singer James Taylor named one of his twins Rufus, and Rufus Humphrey is a Gossip Girl character. Rufus Sewell is a commanding, intense English actor.
 Rufus is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a son of Simon the Cytherian, and there are several St. Rufuses. He's also a major figure in the George Eliot novel Felix Holt: The Radical, an honest and passionate preacher and politician.

Rufus

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girl names starting with J</a>.

Justina

A name with several distinguished namesakes: the wife of ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a famous Italian opera singer, and two Catholic saints--making it both substantial and unusual.

Faustina

While Aurelio, Aurelia, and Aurelius are all on the rise, this historical and Romanian form of the golden name is yet to share in its relatives' success. Given to just 25 boys in a recent year, it may never the less appeal to those who like Adrian, Elian, and Augustine. 
 
Aurelian is typically used in English to refer to the 3rd century Roman emperor (Lucius Domitius Aurelianus), known for reuniting the Roman Empire through his successful military victories. There's also the wrestler Aurelian Smith, better known as Grizzly Smith, Paul Aurelian, a 6th-century Welsh saint who supposedly lived to be 140, and Aurelian Temișan, a singer and actor.

Aurelian

Familiar in the 19th- and early 20th-centuries, Alta is little heard today, but it does have that four letter, A-a formula of Alma, Alba, Anna, Ayla, and Anya. Derived from the Latin altus, it has an elevated meaning that might boost a child's confidence or reflect how much you value them. 
 
Occasionally used as a short form of Alberta, the name has been notably borne by poet Alta Gerrey and First Lady Claudia Alta "Lady Bird " Johnson. It is also a place name in Norway, Canada and the US.
 
A few things to bear in mind, which could explain why Alta is currently rare: it may remind English speakers of the words "alter" or "altar", and in turn, alternatives and alter-egos, along with religious rituals, offerings, and sacrifices. Additionally, in Spanish, alta is the feminine word for "tall", which could make it harder to wear.

Alta

A combination name that might be dismissed as a clown and cow name. The sounds are nevertheless pretty and the meaning is good - though spellings Claribel or Clarabel might help distance it from the cow association. 

Clarabelle

Latin names are plentiful throughout English-speaking countries, as Latin is one of the root languages for English. Latin names include many of the most popular baby names in the Western world, including Lucy and Oliver, Julia, and Miles.

Latin names in the US Top 100 for girls include Ava, Clara, Lillian, Olivia, and Stella. For boys, Latin names in the US Top 100 include Dominic, Lucas, Julian, Roman, and Sebastian. In Rome, popular names include Cecilia, Viola, Christian, and Santiago.

Of course, many unique baby names have Latin origins too, such as Sidra, Domino, and Vesper. Latin was the language of ancient Rome, another source for fashionable modern names, such as Augustus, Cassius, and Octavia.

Browse all of our Latin baby names here, ordered by popularity on Nameberry. 

Latin names of origin in the Latin language, the language and culture of ancient Rome, including Latin names for boys and Latin names for girls, with meanings and popularity. (Page 17)