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Names That Mean Noble

Nameberry
By Nameberry
Updated Thu Nov 30 2023
Names that mean noble include some choices that have long been widely-used in the Western World, such as Alice, Audrey, and Eugene.

Along with variations of those popular names such as Allison and Audra, stylish names that mean noble include the Norse goddess name Freya, the lovely Welsh Arwen, and the Irish surname name Grady.

If you like the meaning noble, you may also want to explore names that mean king, queen, prince, princess, and royal.

One name with a noble meaning you'll want to stay away from is Adolph and all its variations.
  1. Alice

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "noble"

    • Description:

      Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the Western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type."
  2. Arwen

    • Origin:

      Literature, Sindarin, Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "noble maiden; fair, blessed"

    • Description:

      Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of the fastest rising names, more than doubling in use from the previous year.
  3. Freya

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "a noble woman"

    • Description:

      Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
  4. Audrey

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"

    • Description:

      Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour — in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful.
  5. Heidi

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Adelheid; German

    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility"

    • Description:

      Heidi became known — and popular — via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name seems permanently tethered to that spunky little girl on the Alpine mountaintop in the book and Shirley Temple movie.
  6. Alicia

    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Alice

    • Meaning:

      "noble"

    • Description:

      Alicia is a Latinized variation of Alice, a name ultimately derived from the German Adalhaidis. It emerged in the 19th century, but the 20th saw many spelling evolutions for Alicia, including Alecia, Alisha, Aleesha, and Alysha. Alyssa originated as a form of Alicia.
  7. Eugene

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "wellborn, noble"

    • Description:

      Eugene is a classic that has rather lost its way. On the one hand, it's a grandpa, even great-grandpa name that hasn't been one of the cool kids recently—or to quote Jim Carrey, who bears this name in the middle spot, "You can never get too cool with a name like Eugene." The hero of Disney's Tangled felt the same way, when he changed his birth name of Eugene to the more romantic Flynn.
  8. Ethel

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "noble maiden"

    • Description:

      Ethel is a name we once declared as 'So Far Out They'll Probably Always Be Out,' but with the return of other names on that list and with its new starbaby cred via Lily Allen, its soft sound and admirable meaning, we're not so sure.
  9. Alyssa

    • Origin:

      English variation of Alicia

    • Meaning:

      "noble"

    • Description:

      Alyssa was in the Top 20 from 1997-2010 and peaked as the 11th most popular girls’ name in 1998 and 1999 but has become less popular in recent years. It's related to the flower alyssum as well as to the classic Alice and variants. Alyssa Milano helped give it a bounce back when she was still a child sitcom star.
  10. Audra

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"

    • Description:

      Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to Jennifer and Jessa is to Jessica: A variation that will rise as the original falls from favor, which may take another decade.
  11. Edelweiss

    • Origin:

      Flower name, from German

    • Meaning:

      "noble white"

    • Description:

      Edelweiss, made famous by the Rogers and Hammerstein song in "The Sound of Music", is a rare female name.
  12. Elden

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "Ella's hill; old friend"

    • Description:

      A name with old-fashioned charm, akin to Elton, Elwin, and Elwood, Elden is a variation of two Old English names, Eldon or Alden. Meaning "Ella's hill" or "old friend", it combines strength and cosiness, but the connection to the fantasy roleplay game, Elden Ring adds an element of adventure and mystique.
  13. Tala

    • Origin:

      Persian, Arabic, Tagalog, Samoan, Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "gold; turmeric; star; story; noble"

    • Description:

      Tala is a super multicultural name with roots in many diverse languages and cultures. In Northern Europe, especially in Scandinavia, it is a diminutive derived from Adelheid "noble", long used as a standalone name.
  14. Gene

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Eugene, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "wellborn, noble"

    • Description:

      Like Ray, a formerly funky nickname name that is newly cool. Comedian Amy Schumer used it for her son.
  15. Azélie

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "noble type"

    • Description:

      A stylish French name which ultimately derives from Adelaide, via the Occitan form Azalaïs. It was borne by Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin, also called Zélie, the mother of Thérèse of Lisieux.
  16. Elka

    • Origin:

      Latinization of Elke, Scandinavian diminutive of Adelheid

    • Meaning:

      "noble one"

    • Description:

      Much more manageable than the full form of the name. Possible international alternative to Ella.
  17. Adolf

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "noble wolf"

    • Description:

      Adolf may have been a Swedish royal name but the terrible dictatorship of Adolf Hitler has ruled out this name Adolf for any sensible parent. In the US last year, there were more than 100 boys' given the Spanish variation Adolfo and a handful given the old school Adolphus, but none named Adolf or Adolph....thank goodness.
  18. Elmer

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "noble and renowned"

    • Description:

      Thanks to Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Cow, Elmer the elephant, Elmer's glue and the similar Elmo, this name might, to some feel like a jokey choice: the quintessential so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out name. And yet, the US statistics don't quite support that perception.
  19. Adela

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "noble"

    • Description:

      A vibrant variation of Adele, with a bit of extra flair from that "-a" ending. It could join the army of popular A girls' names, especially with its tie to the success of singer Adele.
  20. Audrina

    • Origin:

      Variation of Audrey

    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"

    • Description:

      Audrina is a name that owes its fame to overnight reality TV sensation Audrina Partridge, one of the original cast of the MTV reality series The Hills.