By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 124 pages
of 124
English
"one that is old"
Nope, not Goldie. Oldie, as in, "an oldie but a goody" or "oldies music". Despite these neutral-to-positive associations, Oldie still has a musty, fusty quality. Actress Kelli Giddish named her son…
English surname
"point, ridge"
Unconventional British military officer Orde Wingate inherited his unusual given name from his mother, Mary Ethel Stanley Orde-Browne. Fittingly for his eventual profession (and that of his only son,…
Latin
"golden"
A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelio.
English surname from Norse
"serpent"
An old money surname passed down in notable American families. Christopher Plummer's middle name was Orme. Orme was derived from the Middle English given name Orm, which in turn came from the Old…
Variation of Pearl, Latin gem name
"pearl"
While we would think of Pearlie as a girlish pet form of Pearl today, it was a unisex name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among males, it was disproportionately used among African…
Pedro Henrique is a masculine compound name that brings together two classic names of European origin. Pedro derives from the Greek name Petros, meaning 'rock' or 'stone,' and has been traditionally…
Perlie, along with Pearlie and Purlie, was one of the 21 names identified by Lisa D. Cook and colleagues in their landmark study on distinctively Black names from history .
Petie is a masculine diminutive name typically derived from Peter, which comes from the Greek 'Petros' meaning 'rock' or 'stone.' Often used as an affectionate nickname, Petie has occasionally been…
English word name from Greek
"to attempt, attack"
A bold new word name that conjures up images of peg-legs and eyepatches. It was brought to national attention by pop musician Billie Eilish, whose full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell.…
Mapuche
"snow"
Greek
"many gifts"
As Polydoros, this rare Greek name belonged to several figures in Greek mythology, including a son of King Priam of Troy. This Anglicized form (also spelled Polidore) has been borne by eminent people…
Tahitian
"night cough"
This royal Tahitian name was borne by four kings and a queen of Tahiti. It was created after a royal baby died of a night cough, perhaps not the happiest meaning.
"person who lives by a pool"
At one time, the surname Poole denoted someone who lived near a pool. Not in the chlorinated sense — pool was another word for pond.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Purlie was a distinctively Black name used primarily among baby boys. Purlie, along with alternate spellings Pearlie and Perlie, is virtually unheard of…
"fire stone"
So named because it emits sparks when struck with a stone.
Xhosa and Zulu
"hero"
Derived from the Xhosa and Zulu word for "hero", qhawe
American variation of Kwame, Ghanaian, Akan
"born on Saturday"
Quame is an Anglicization of the Ghanaian Akan name Kwame. In West Africa, it is traditional to name your child after the day of the week on which they were born. The feminine equivalent is Mimba, a…
Variation of Kwasi, Ghanaian, Akan
"born on Sunday"
Quashee was used in America and the Caribbean — particularly Jamaica — among enslaved people. It is derived from the traditional Akan name for boys born on Sunday, Kwasi.
Feminization of Robinet, French
"bright fame"
The R in Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands for Robinette, the President's paternal grandmother's maiden name. In Medieval France, Robinette was used as a feminine given name derived from the male form…
In demonology, Ronove is a Great Marquis of Hell, commanding legions of demons. He teaches art, rhetoric, and languages.
