By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 35 pages
of 35
English
"keeper of the garden"
Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first ' e ', as in…
French form of the Latin Gabinus
"of Gabium"
Fans of the classic French film actor Jean Gabin might want to consider this one. Gabin is also a harmonica-playing character in the manga and anime series "Mirmo!"
Latin
"bean"
One of the many rhythmically appealing Italian names newly up for consideration, with more substance than the modelly FABIO. Variations: FABIO, FABIAN, FABRIZIO
Feminine variation of Aquilo, Latin
"eagle"
A lot of parents claim to want a name that's different, but if you really do, Aquilina, modern-feeling but based on an ancient favorite, would be one good choice.
Latin from Greek
"sixth born"
The name of several popes and saints, Sixtus is certainly unusual but would have trouble making it in the modern world outside the Vatican. Even worse is its brother Sextus. Try making it through…
"pure light"
Lucasta was invented by seventeenth century poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems dedicated to a lover named Lucy, and is familiar through the Eugene O'Neill play and film Anna Lucasta .…
Latin, female variation of Constantinus
"constant, unchanging"
Constantina is a pretty, feminissima, if lengthy, variation on the Constance theme. The fourth century Constantina, also known as Constantia and Constantiana, was the eldest daughter of Roman Emperor…
"little she goat"
Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the…
"title of honor"
Related to the Roman name Titius and the more modern Titus, the "tit" syllable would be problematic for any modern girl. Try the similar Russian name Tatiana.
"bell ringer"
Most often heard as an Italian surname, this might be an unusual yet musical option. While it's not among the traditional Italian names for girls , it can fill that role.
"from Rome"
Most parents looking for an ancient Roman name would probably prefer something less generic, like, say, MAGNUS or CLAUDIUS.
Diminutive of Florence
"flourishing, prosperous"
All but unheard of today, Floy was a popular Florence nickname used on its own in a century ago: it was Number 448 in 1914. Charles Dickens uses Floy as a pet name for the character Florence Dombey…
Latinized form of Greek Erastos
"beloved"
The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical…
Though the Fabian or Fabio versions are more often heard today, Fabius is the Roman family name they originated from. The general Quintus Fabius Maximum was famous for his strategic delaying tactics,…
"chancellor"
A name halfway between its old milquetoast image and a more jovial Irish-sounding contemporary one. Sounds more feminine than masculine these days.
"honor"
Timaeus is an ancient name that appears in both Plato's Dialogues and in the New Testament. Might make a so-old-it's-new-again version of Timothy. The feminine variation is Timea.
"foreign"
This is a name used as a pseudonym by Celia in Shakespeare's As You Like It to conceal her real identity. It was later seen as a character in the Ken Follett novel Pillars of the Earth . Can also be…
Male variation of Monica, Latin
"advisor"
Dashing and highly unusual variation does the feminine original one better by sounding both more modern and more usable. Or you can spell it Monaco and call it a place name.
"desire"
The name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus, considered so romantic as to be unfit for mere mortals. Yet now that Romeo and Venus herself are fair game for modern babies, why not Cupid?
Latin, mythological name
Accalia was the human foster-mother of twins Romulus and Remus. Her name is even more obscure than theirs.
