Names That Mean Ruler

  1. Landry
    • Origin:

      French and English
    • Meaning:

      "ruler"
    • Description:

      Landry is one rising surname name, often after legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, that is given to boys and girls. But the y ending does give it a feminine sound (as opposed to the more boyish and more popular Landon). Land is a Landry nickname that might work for boys or girls.
  2. Rodrigo
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Portuguese variation of Roderick
    • Meaning:

      "famous ruler"
    • Description:

      Rhythmically appealing international spin on the stiff original.
  3. Wout
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Wouter, Dutch from Old German
    • Meaning:

      "army ruler"
    • Description:

      The Dutch equivalent of Walt makes the Top 100 in Belgium, where Flemish parents love short, sweet names.
  4. Hettie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Henrietta, English
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      It may take another generation or so, but this category of Hettie-Lettie-Lottie names could make a comeback.
  5. Osric
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "divine ruler"
    • Description:

      Clad in armor. But while this name may have been forbiddingly antiquated not that long ago, the connection to the trendy nickname Os or Oz makes it a real possibility.
  6. Rhisiart
    • Origin:

      Welsh from German
    • Meaning:

      "brave ruler"
    • Description:

      Welsh form of Richard.
  7. Serayah
    • Origin:

      Variation of Seraiah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is ruler"
    • Description:

      The biblical Seraiah may have been male, but all the modern babies named Serayah or Seraiah are female, some inspired by actress Serayah McNeill of Empire.
  8. Freddy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Frederick
    • Meaning:

      "peaceful ruler"
    • Description:

      Another old-school nickname getting new attention thanks to TV's Mad Men. Names like Fred, Pete, and George have been out so long it's time for them to come back in. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 following a two-year absence from the list. It currently ranks Number 199 in England and Wales.
  9. Alarik
    • Origin:

      Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Frisian, Norwegian, Swedish, Finland, variation of Adalrich, German
    • Meaning:

      "noble ruler"
    • Description:

      When used in English-speaking countries — it's heard occasionally in the UK — it's more often spelled Alaric, however, across Scandinavia and Europe, Alarik might be prefer.
  10. Alric
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "ruler of all"
    • Description:

      Common in Sweden, Alric is part of the family of medieval sounding names, like Alaric, Casimir and Leopold that are increasing gaining a fanbase, perhaps as an antidote to the modern inventions that are becoming more prolific.
  11. Frieda
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      This traditional Germanic name hasn't been on the U.S. list since 1958, but perhaps due to the mythic power of painter Frida Kahlo, parents are beginning to show some interest in it.
  12. Iarlaith
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "ruler, sovereign, lord"
    • Description:

      The name of a 6th saint from Galway whose monastery became a center of learning while he was there, Iarlaith is an undiscovered Irish gem. Undiscovered in the US, that is: Iarlaith is a Top 100 name in Ireland, given to around 55 boys in a recent year.
  13. Thierry
    • Origin:

      French variation of Theodoric
    • Meaning:

      "ruler of the people"
    • Description:

      Thierry, which is very popular in France, would make an interesting import; it's somewhat familiar through designer Thierry Mugler and international soccer star Thierry Henry. It almost sounds like Terry, but not quite.
  14. Vlad
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Vladimir, Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"
    • Description:

      The most famous Vlad was nicknamed "the Impaler." Enough said.
  15. Edric
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "wealthy ruler"
    • Description:

      Formerly in style limbo, Edric has recently started to see more use by parents. It could be because it sounds medieval yet accessible - which George R. R. Martin took advantage of for several characters - or because it's an offbeat alternative to the more popular Ed-names.
  16. Derrick
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Derek, English from German form of Theodoric,"the people's ruler"
    • Meaning:

      "the people's ruler"
    • Description:

      Derek is one of those names that, in its heyday, spawned lots of variations, all trendy. Last year, about 300 baby boys were named Derrick and about 1350 were named Derek.
  17. Aubree
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Aubrey
    • Meaning:

      "elf ruler"
    • Description:

      Aubree and its big sister name Aubrey are both very widely used names, and if taken together would be among the most popular girl names. The Aubree spelling came into the limelight on the show Teen Mom 2.
  18. Waldemar
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "famous ruler"
    • Description:

      The American child given this name of four kings of Denmark, not to mention one so similar to that of the Harry Potter archvillain Lord Voldemort, might have to pay a large emotional import tax.
  19. Genghis
    • Origin:

      Mongolian
    • Meaning:

      "universal ruler"
    • Description:

      Everyone has heard of Genghis Khan, 12th century warrior and founder of the Mongol empire. The name was brought into the modern world by soccer star Hope Solo and football player Jerramy Stevens, who chose it as the middle name for their son Vittorio, whose twin sister is named Lozen after a female Apache warrior.
  20. Dietrich
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "ruler of the people"
    • Description:

      This form of Theodoric, familiar via Marlene, is a possible German import. It is an Anglicized ancestor of Derek and all its variations. A noted bearer was acclaimed classical German baritone and conductor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and there have been Dietrichs in Henry James's The Princess Casamassima,/em and more recently on the TV show Psych.

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