Latin Names

A playful yet strong sounding nickname name that could work as an alternative to Katie, Cory, Casey, Cora, or Rory. Deriving from Cordelia or Cordula, which originate from the Latin cor, Cordy could mean "heart".
 
As a unisex name, it also comes from the Germanic Conrad.

Cordy

Cornelia is the feminine form of the Ancient Roman Cornelius. Both names were popular in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but have dropped off the Top 1000. In the most recent year counted, there were about 40 baby girls named Cornelia and 80 boys named Cornelius. But we doubt many of those would be nicknamed Corny.

Corny

Corsica, the picturesque Mediterrean island birthplace of Napoleon, makes an easy switch from atlas to baby name book, with its delicate, feminine ending. Just don't consider neighboring island Sardinia. 

Corsica

Corva has the sounds of both vintage Cora and the contemporary favorite Ava, but manages to feel dark and witchy thanks to its corvid connections. 

Corva

Derived from the Latin Crescentius and Crescens, Crescentia is a bold, strong but elaborate name borne by a 4th century saint and also the heroine of a 12th century German romance. Also spelled Kreszentia, it feels connected to the moon, due to its similarity to the word crescent. 

Crescentia

Cruise

The most prominent person with this unusual geographical choice might be actor Cuba Gooding Jr., however, Cuba has a far longer history as a feminine name. Deriving from the island in the Caribbean Sea, it had a brief spell of popularity in the US at the end of the 1890s, when Spain lost possession of the island during the Spanish-American War. Used predominantly (though rarely) on girls throughout the last century, it has occasionally been given to a handful of boys too
 
The exact meaning and origins of the place name are unknown, though it is conjectured that it comes from the extinct Taíno language and could mean "where the fertile land is abundant" or "great place". Alternatively, it could derive from the Palace of Cuba in Italy, whose name might literally come from the word cubical or from the Arabic Qubba meaning "dome" — in reference to the shape of the building. There is also a Roman Goddess of the name, who is said to have helped see a child from cradle to bed. 
 
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. was named in honor of his grandfather's first wife, whom he had met and married after fleeing to the island in the 1930s; when she was murdered, he promised to name his first son Cuba, which he did, and soul singer Cuba Sr. then gave the name to his son too. 
 More recently, social media influencers and YouTube couple, Jess and Gabriel Conte, named their son Cuba Malachi in 2024. The name has raised some eyebrows among their followers for its unusualness — and perhaps because some might think of the fraught history the island has with the US. Nevertheless, it is almost reminiscent of the likes of Luna, Cooper, Ember and Cora, so time will tell if other parents begin to consider the name for any gender.

Cuba

The Roman goddess of care and concern was said to have created humans out of clay.

Cura

Corvina sounds quite similar to a car model, although it has a gorgeous meaning and could be an interesting dramatic full name for the nickname Cora.

Corvina

Unique and fluid river name with the lilt of a Viennese waltz. 

Danube

Cordis is an unusual and substantial unisex choice. 

Cordis

This name of the goddess of peace creates a lovely ideal. 

Concordia

Enshrined in the Latin and Catholic culture. 

Concepciòn

Fans of the late Princess Diana might remember an early nickname, Shy Di. Di was more commonly heard in the middle of the last century, when Diane and sisters were in top vogue.
 
Today, people may take Di as a very dark word name.

Columbia is a rarely used name with many associations. From the eighteenth century it has been used as a female personification of the United States, often appearing as a flag-draped patriotic figure. And as such it's inspired a plethora of place and company names, from the District of Columbia to Columbia University to Columbia Records, and songs like "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean." A character called Columbia appears in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
 The peaceful Columba/Colomba--meaning "dove"-- is often heard in the Latino community

Columbia

Columba is an early saint's name that rhumbas to a modern beat. While the original St. Columba is male, the name sounds more appropriate for a girl in the modern world. Leave variations Colm and Callum for the boys.

Columba

Diversity

Colombia is a South American country name, with a rhythmic sound and peaceful connotations.  The Irish Colm, Scottish Callum, and Columba are all attractive relatives of Colombia (or Columbia, if you're thinking of the college).

Colombia

This ancient feminine form is the kind of name your child will grow into...at least by her fiftieth birthday. 

Clemencia

Edrien or Adrien are both French forms of the classic Latin name Adrian. While this spelling takes you directly to the short for Ed, Adrian is by far the most popular spelling in the US, given to over 4600 baby boys in one recent year, followed by Adrien, used for only about 170. And none were called Edrien.

Edrien

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 37)