Latin Names

The obscure yet not unappealing name of a legendary heroine of Rome, likely derived from the Roman family name, Cloelius. It is believed to come from the Latin word cluere, meaning "to have renowned fame". 
 
The ancient Clelia escaped an Etruscan invader by swimming across the Tiber River.

Clelia

Yes, we tend to think of Claude as a male name and Claudia and Claudette as the female, but this ancient clan name is used in France for girls as well as boys, and could make a distinctively chic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/79/boy-names-for-girls">boy name for girls</a> here too. You may be surprised to know that Claude was in fairly regular use for American girls in the 1880's and nineties, reaching as high as 553 in 1880.

 In her native country, there have been some famous female Claudes, including Queen Claude of France (1499 to 1524), daughter of Louis XII, and another sixteenth century Claude de France, daughter of Henri II.

 Later Claudes include the daughter of Claude Debussy, Claude-Emma (called Chouchou), the leading female character in Tracy Chevalier's novel Lady and the Unicorn, French actress Claude Jade and photographer Claude Cahun, and the widow of French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou.

 While the "lame" meaning is the most widely acknowledged, 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-appealing name.

Claude

A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns.  "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are not particularly in right now.

Clarinda

Clorinda is a romantic name invented by a sixteenth-century poet, but has a synthetic sound today. 

Clorinda

Likely adapted from Felician and Feliciano, this elaborate form of the cheerful, lucky name is predominantly (though only occasionally) used in Mexico and Indonesia. 

Felixiano

Derived from the Latin formosa, Fermosa is a distinctive name with the familiar sounds of Fernanda and Rosa. It relates closely to the Spanish and Galician words for "beautiful" and may additionally be spelled as Fermoza.

Fermosa

Cilla

A name with a pleasing hue, Fulvio comes from the Latin fulvus used poetically to describe saturated bronze and gold, the coats of lions and eagles and the color of sand and earth. Considered the Italian and Spanish form of the Roman Fulvius, it has been borne by basketball player Fulvio de Assis, historian Fulvio Orsini, cross country skier Fulvio Valbusa, and poet Andrea Fulvio, just to mention a few.

Fulvio

An unconventional way to Rosie or Rosa, borne by Generosa of Scillium, a martyr and saint from the 2nd century AD, Generosa is also used in Spanish and Italian as the word for "generous". As such, it may be seen as a name with two (connected) meanings: from the Latin generosus, it means "well-born, noble, excellent, while in a modern Italian and Spanish context, it means "generous, giving, kind, plentiful". 
 Briefly popular in Spain and Brazil in the early 19th-century, it may appeal as a rare virtue name or as an alternative to Ginevra, Ambrosia, or Geneva. In Italian, it would be pronounced jeh-neh-RO-za, while in Spanish, it would be kheh-neh-RO-sa, kh like the -ch of Scottish Loch.

Generosa

Generoso might look like a virtuous name, inspired by generosity and giving, and while they do share the same root, as a name, it's more directly descended from the Latin generosus meaning "well-born, excellent, noble". It's link to generosity may come from the idea that those who were well-born had money, time, and resources to share, so you could still see it as virtue-adjacent, especially since it is the Italian and Spanish word for generous.
 
Briefly popular in Spain in the early 19th-century, it may appeal to those who enjoy rare word names and those who enjoy Ambrose or Ambrosio. In Italian, it would be pronounced jeh-neh-RO-zo, while in Spanish, it would be kheh-neh-RO-so, kh like the -ch of Scottish Loch.

Generoso

Spiky and unexpected, Helvetica is best known as a sans-serif typeface which takes its name from Helvetia, the national personification of Switzerland. Helvetia itself comes from Confoederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for Switzerland. A little like Helena, Erica, and Veronica, Helvetica is certainly a rare choice for a baby, however, it was chosen by designer and entrepreneur Perry Haydn Taylor to honor his love for typography. His other daughters are Perpetua and Clarendon.

Helvetica

Light and cheerful as its meaning but with plenty of substance, Ilari is the Finnish form of Hilarius and Hillary. Used as a masculine name in Finland, it is used, albeit quietly, as a unisex option elsewhere.

Ilari

Cheerful and contemporary in feel, Ilari is a unisex choice, ultimately from the Roman name, Hilarius, via its English and Italian forms, Hilary and Ilaria. While Ilari is exclusively masculine in Finland, it is also used as a feminine name in Italy, Albania, and Nigeria. 
 
Also spelled as Ilary, the name has featured in the 2023 game Overwatch and is borne by TV host Ilary Blasi.

A popular choice in Italy, appearing in the Top 200, this cheerful name ultimately derives from the Roman Hilarius. While Ilaria is more common, Ilary is more succinct which may be part of its appeal. It is notably borne by TV host Ilary Blasi.
 
Also spelled as Ilari, the name may be considered a unisex choice, notably used in Russian as an alternative to Ilariy.

Ilary

As a Russian name, Ilary is a masculine choice and an alternative transcription of Ilariy; as an Italian name, it is a variation of Ilaria and predominantly used as a girl name. Either way, the roots are same:  Ilary comes from the Roman Hilarius, meaning "cheerful, merriment". 


The Latin name for the holly (or the holm oak) tree would make an interesting nature-inspired alternative to Alex and Felix.

Ilex

Little known name of the goddess of the harvest — her name literally means nourishment, and is the origin of the word cereal. A possibility for the parent seeking something original, but with the aura of Roman myth.  Her Greek counterpart is Demeter. 


Ceres

Familiar in sound yet rarely actually heard, Kastina is a name with a variety of different origins. On one hand, it may be a Norwegian feminine form of the Germanic Karsten, ultimately borrowed from the Christian, meaning "follower of Christ" or "anointed". Alternative, it may be a variation of the Latin Castus, referring to someone "chaste" or "pure", though it could equally derive from Constans (vias Konstantina and Kostina), giving it another meaning: "steadfast". 
 
There is a possibility that it is a twist on Katsina, a state in Nigeria, or an adaption of Katherine via Katerina, Katazyna, or Kasia.

Kastina

This spelling variation of the Biblical place-name Sela is found on early American census roles, but Sela is more usual today.  Cella is another early variation.

Cela

A modern feeling choice with ancient roots, Kerix (or Keryx) once referred to a herald or an official conveyer of messages, often responsible for bringing communications between warring groups, for declaring and summoning people to council meetings or to the court of law, and for reciting prayers. Kerykes saw the Greek messenger god Hermes as their patron.
 
In the form of kérux, it appears in Bible, referring again to a herald, but also to a preacher, giving it spiritual ties too, though you might also interpret it as a spin on the surname Kerrick, which could mean "king's rule", "from the marshland", "rocky place" or "church! depending on what roots you follow.

Kerix

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 38)