Names That Mean Strength

Birgit is pronounced with a hard 'g' and is one of the many international versions of the Irish Bridget. Birgit Nilsson was a celebrated Swedish operatic soprano.

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

This male relative of the Emily family was borne by two Greek saints, one a fourth century martyr who destroyed pagan images and the other a ninth century bishop. Variations include Emilios and Aemilios. The Latin Aemilius, from the ancient family name, may be unrelated.

This weighty Anglo-Saxon name belonged to a 7th century English saint, also known as Etheldred. The chic classic Audrey is a modern French and English descendent.

This name was used by the royal House of Luxembourg in the Middle Ages, as a diminutive of Irmentrude. We definitely think this spunky shortening improves upon the heavy German original.

In Nigeria, Chibuike is seen as a surname as well as a given name for both girls and boys. John Chibuike is a notable Nigerian footballer.

Courage debuted on the girls' side of the chart in 2008, almost two decades after it first appeared for boys. It's among the rising class of powerful unisex virtue names, along with Brave, True, and Hero.

Gabrina is a name sometimes heard in the Latino community, could make a distinctive alternative to Gabriela.

Many African names can be used for both sexes, as is the case with Chibuike. There are no stats on usage in Nigeria, Chibuike's country of origin, but in the US it is used more often for boys.