Names That Mean Noble

Ethel is one of those vintage names that will always will be out...or will it? A generation ago we might have said the same for now-fashionable names like Florence and Ida. Even if Ethel rises, Etheline might sound too much like a chemical compound.

Etheline

Deriving from Old German adal "noble" and heit "type" or "-ness", this weighty ancient name is the ultimate root of modern favorites like Alice, Adelaide, Ada, Allison and Heidi.

Adalheidis

Adelheidis

A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and here in the US. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan form Azalaïs. Saint Zélie was born Marie-Azélie.

Zélie

The tale-spinning heroine of The Thousand and One Nights, Sheherazade is an extravagantly elaborate name for a little girl. Too extravagantly elaborate? It's lovely and beguiling, and with the rise of such evocative monikers as Persephone and Ophelia, Sheherazade may have a chance in the modern baby name world.

Another accepted spelling is Scheherazade. While the origin of this name is Persian, there are also modern Arabic forms of the name.

Sheherazade

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

Dreda

Ulrike and its Anglicized form Ulrica were given to exactly zero baby girls in the US last year, while their masculine form Ulrich was used for a dozen baby boys. U is the least common first initial for baby names in the US, making Ulrike extra unique. 

Ulrich and variations is German and means "rich and noble heritage".

Ulrike

Etheldred or Etheldreda was an early English saint. The name is an ancestor to chic modern classic Audrey.

Etheldred

An attractive unisex surname name, possibly derived from Adeline. May also be a variant of Eadlin.

Edlin

Common name in Japan primarily associated with Hitomi (Furuya), a mononymous Japanese singer.

Hitomi

This weighty ancient name could be the perfect fits-in-stands-out choice for fans the increasingly fashionable group of girls' names that both start and end in A. 

 The second element gis may come from either gaiso "spear" or gisel "pledge".

Adalgisa

A rare and historic member of the Alice and Adelaide family of names, ultimately from Adelheidis.

Aleydis

A relatively stylish choice in Slovenia, where it is the standard form of Ulrich. Unlikely to catch on in the US, where U is the least common initial.
 
Urh is also a Slovenian place name.

A formidable name borne by Edelgard von Hresvelg, heiress to the Adrestian Empire in the video game Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Edelgard

A popular Estonian name connected to the word ülev, meaning "noble."

Ülle

Adaluna is the ultra-stylish smoosh name that nobody's caught onto yet. It's a one-of-a-kind compromise if you're deciding between Ada or Adeline and Luna. But despite its modern appearance, Adaluna has ancient roots. The Roman name for England's River Lune was Adaluna, probably due to its crescent-like shape. The similar name Adeluna is believed to be a variation of Adelina.

Adaluna

A unique and vintage-feeling combo name, borne by silent child film star Ethelmary Oakland.

Ethelmary

Arihi

Adél

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.

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. (Page 6)