Names That Mean People

An old form of Dietlinde, Theodelinda is a Germanic name reminiscent of Theodora, Rosalind, and Belinda. Derived from the elements theod meaning "people" and lind meaning "soft, tender", this variation of the name was borne by a 6th-century Bavarian princess who became an influential queen of the Lombards, marrying two successive kings and later assisting her son in ruling the kingdom 
 
The name would be pronounced thee-o-duh-lin-duh in English and as TEH-o-duh-lin-dah in German.

Theodelinda

Pronounced klaus, this spelling of the name is associated in this country with the major Pop Art sculptor Swedish-born Claes Oldenburg, known for his colossal public sculptures of everyday objects such as lipsticks and binoculars, and the "Happenings" performance art of the 1960s. 
Variations include CLAUS, KLAUS, KLAES, and CLAAS.

Claes

An alluring Russian variant of Nicodemus, Nikodim has an attractive sound and could be a unique full name for the cool nickname Niko.

Nikodim

Combining elements of the popular Theodore and the old-fashioned Edmund, the name Theomund is a bold but grounded choice. Strong and solid in feel, it also offers the nicknames Ted, Teddy, Theo, or Mundy.
 
 There are several possible meanings of Theomund, depending on which etymological root you follow. In Old German, theod means "people" while "mund" means protection, giving the meanings "protector of the people" or "protector of the nation." It was this form of the name that was likely borne by the historical Suevic King of Galicia, Theodemund.
 
Alternatively, in Greek, theos means "God" and the "mund" suggests "both sides". There was a Byzantine official named Theodimundus whose name translates to "God of two worlds". 
 
You could even get the best of both worlds and combine elements of the two - giving the possibility of "God's protection" 
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Theomund

A sweet sounding choice with a strong meaning, Thiette is a diminutive of the 60s French favorite, Thierry. Appealing perhaps to fans of Miette, Liette, Colette, and similar, it may be said as TEE-EHT or TYEHT and is a very rare choice. 

Thiette

A rare and distinctive way to international nickname, Nico, Nicodème is the French variation of the Biblical Nicodemus and the Greek Nikodemos. In the New Testament, it was borne by one of the men who helped to entomb Jesus following his crucifixion. 

Nicodème

Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not. 

Washington

A feisty name from Greenland, where Nikku is their version of both Nicholas and Nicole.

Nikku

Theovald is an ancient sounding name that may in fact be a more modern creation, blending elements of Theodore (or Theobald) with those of Oswald or Walter. As such, it could mean "God's power" from the Greek theos and the English weald, or it could mean "might of the people", pairing the Germanic theod with weald (or its Germanic form, waldaz).
 
A rare choice, it has appeared on social media birth announcements.

Theovald

A strong Lithuanian name, pronounced with a hard G-, Gintautus has the powerful meaning of "defender of the nation and people". Notbale bearers include the former prime minister of Lithuania (2024-2025) Gintautas Paluckas and basketball player Gintautas Matulis. 

Gintautas

Originally used as a habitational surname for someone from a town of the same name in the North of England, Bingley is perhaps best associated with the good-natured Charles Bingley in Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Yet to catch on, it's a literary choice that might make an alternative to Briggs or Bradley, and could get you to zingy nickname Bing, without having to commit to using the name of a search engine.

Bingley

Volney

A stately Polish name, Ludomir combines the elements lud meaning "people" with mir meaning "peace", making it a strong choice with a gentler, hopeful meaning. The name may additionally be associated with Hannah Rachel Verbermacher, the only independent female rebbe (a spiritual leader in Hasidic Judaism), who was known as the Maiden of Ludomir (or Ludmir).
 
Notable bearers include painter Ludomir Benedyktowicz and composer and conductor, Ludomir Różycki.

Ludomir

A strong but lyrical Polish name, Ludomira is a feminine variation of Ludomir, which blends the elements lud meaning "people" with mir meaning "peace", giving it a hopeful feel over all.

Ludomira

A quietly used name among French speakers, Lydwine is a variation of Lidwina, itself a feminine form of Ludwin and Leutwin. These names are usually interpreted as meaning "friend of the people" or "people's friend", however, sometimes the first element is interpreted to mean "famous" instead. 
 
Pronounced as LID-WEEN in French (and as lid-WEE-nuh elsewhere), the name is associated with a 15th century Dutch saint and mystic, Lydwina of Schiedam, patron saint of chronic pain and ice-skating.

Lydwine

An anglicized form of the French Nicodème, this is variation of the grand and Biblical Nicodemus, ultimately borrowed from the Ancient Greek Nikodemos. Appearing in the New Testament as one of the men who helped to entomb Jesus following his crucifixion, it could make an interesting alternative to Nicolas, and a rare way to nickname Nico. 

Nicodeme

A grand Lithuanian name, Tautvydas was the declarative meaning of "to see the people" or "to see the nation", though it may also be interpreted as "the people see". Notable bearers include basketball player Tautvydas Sabonis and cross country skier, Tautvydas Strolia. 

Tautvydas

Predominantly used for boys in France and beyond, Thierry has appeared in the US charts for girls sporadically since the 2000s, likely because of its -y ending and visual similarities to Kerry, Terry, Cherry, and similar. Derived from the Germanic Theodoric (not related to the familiar Theodore), it is pronounced as TYEH-REE in French, but sometimes as tee-air-ree in English. 



Thierry

Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from &mdash; Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut.

 Trivia tidbit: Thibault is the name of a minor character in Peanuts.

Thibault

Yaa Asantewaa was a Queen mother in the Ashanti Empire (now part of Ghana) who led the Ahsanti war against the British Empire and colonialism in 1900. The name is therefore predominantly used in Ghana, where it is symbolic of fighting for your people and of female strength. 
 
Ghanaian TikTok star, Martina Dwamena, goes by the name Asantewaa, and has likely introduced this strong choice to a wider audience. In fact, it appeared in the US stats for the first time in 2024 when it was given to 6 girls.