By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 255 pages
of 255
French
"wealth"
A French masculine form of Odilia/Odile which ranked in the top 500 in France for most of the first two decades of the 20th century, but has since fallen out of use. Famous bearers include 19th…
Botanical name
The name of this pretty Mediterranean shrub is reminiscent of popular classic Oliver, and interestingly its etymology appears to overlap too: oleander most likely derives from Greek rhododendron…
unknown
This intriguing surname name has an infamous bearer in O. J. (Orenthal James) Simpson, who was apparently named by his aunt after an obscure 1940s-era foreign film actor. Orenthal is likely to be an…
Scots Gaelic
"name of a bird species"
Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P-…
Welsh
"unknown"
A Welsh saint’s name, possibly deriving from the Old Welsh word for "red".
Variation on Rhidian, a Welsh saint's name.
Germanic
"glorious reign"
Romuald is an obscure medieval Italian saint’s name which had a surprising run of popularity in France in the 1970s, featuring in the top 100 from 1972-79. It only fell out of the French top 500 in…
Spanish and French
"rose and honey"
A French surname turned Spanish masculine given name, Rosamel likely derives from the combination of rose + Greek mel "honey". As a surname, it was borne by a 19th century French naval officer with…
Latin
"of the Sun"
A surprisingly modern word name, only recorded since the 20th century, Solaris is also the title of a 1961 science fiction novel by Polish author Stanisław Lem, which has been adapted for the big…
Sanskrit
"ruler of the gods"
Older form of Suresh.
Greek
"lion honor"
This ancient name, belonging to a 4th century BCE Greek statesman and general, would be one of those unique baby names with lots of more down-to-earth nickname potential, including Tim and Leon.…
Variation of Varius, Roman, Latin
"versatile"
Ultimately derived from the Roman family name, Varius, this name is versatile as its meaning suggests. Both ancient and modern in feel, rugged yet regal, it may appeal to those who like Adrian,…
"voyager"
Viator is a late Latin name, which belonged to a 4th-century Italian saint. Similar in sound to the word Aviator, this name has a slightly space-agey vibe.
"wine, vine"
An Ancient Roman clan name, deriving from Latin vinum ("wine"), it was notably borne by Marcus Vinicius, a Roman consul, general, and friend of the emperor Augustus. More recently, it has been…
Russian
"fierce and glorious"
The Russian form of an ancient Slavic name, which belonged to several Grand Princes of Kyiv and Novgorod, including Yaroslav I "the Wise". A city and region called Yaroslavl in Western Russia are…
Form of Yehochanan or John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
A contracted form of Yehochanan, the Biblical Hebrew form of John. Variants include Yohanan and Johanan and the increasingly popular short form is Yahya.
"equality"
The name of one of the ten Attic orators, it is a name with a great academic pedigree and a wonderful meaning - a good choice for social justice minded parents.
Romani
"son / sonny"
This Romani name may derive from the Yiddish name Zindel, which is itself a name derived from Alexander.
The son of Pwyll and Rhiannon in Welsh mythology, Pryderi (which means "care; worry" in Welsh) is a central figure of the Mabinogi. Kidnapped by a mysterious beast as a baby, he is raised by another…
Ghanaian
Ghanaian name meaning "God hears me", known to fans of "The Great British Bake Off" thanks to charismatic contestant Selasi Gbormittah.
