Names That Mean Possessing

Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings. His name today has an appealingly artistic image, which might well be found on a concert program or gallery announcement.

More creative and artsy than Mario. Dario is starting to edge up the US popularity list after languishing near the bottom of the Top 1000 over the last four decades. Is that inspired by Dario's popularity in Italy, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland?

In the ancient Hindu religion, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, though in modern America, this might make a better girls' than boys' name. You can spell it Indre, like the French river, if you prefer.

In the ancient Hindu religion, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain. The vowel ending could make it sound feminine to the English speaker, though Ezra and Luca work just fine, so why not Indra?

The Indre is a river in France. Spelled Indra, it's the name of a powerful deity worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains — roughly the South Asian equivalent of the Greek Zeus or Norse Odin. But either Indra or Indre might make a simple, captivating, attractive name for a modern little girl.

A rare and sparky Z-starting option with a pretty lunar meaning.

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, music, and the arts. She is also a river goddess, associated with the mythical Saraswati river, which played an important part in the Vedic texts.

The double-A is often a hard sell for baby names in an English-speaking context, and many will find Dario, as in public intellectual Dario Fo, appealing enough with just one. But diehard Game of Thrones fans may be attracted to this version, as it is the first name of charming rascal Daario Naharis, a mercenary first hired, then seduced, by Daenerys Targaryen during her conquest of Slaver's Bay.