Names That Mean Great

A cross-cultural name that can be a nickname for David and can be pronounced Day (preferable to die), but is also the name of a vicious Asian villain.

Familiar as a Latin surname but has potential as a first.

Skater Tai Babilonia brought this sleek modern name to the world's attention. Pronounced "tie."

Meredith has been considered primarily a girl's name since the fifties, before which it was more commonly used for boys. Comic actor Jay Mohr recently named his son Meredith, which might help it swing back into the blue column.

In Greek mythology, Megara was the first wife of Heracles (Hercules); the character of Megara “Meg” in the Disney film is loosely based on her. It’s also a place name in Greece and Sicily.

Simple ancient name of a Celtic goddess, but her friends might sound like they were asking for more.

Once-popular boys' name works better now for girls, as a kind of Dara/Karen blend.

Variation of Magni or Magnus, popular throughout modern Scandinavia. In mythology, Magni was a son of Thor.

Despite appearances, Ismenia does not seem to be related to Greek Ismene (“knowledge”). Instead, one possible derivation is from Celtic elements meaning “excellent” and “treasure”.

Magni is a powerful name from Norse mythology: he’s the son of Thor and the giant Járnsaxa. A more modern variant is Magne, which is currently climbing fast in Denmark.

Udoka is an Igbo-Nigerian name derived from the word Udo, meaning peace.

Sagi is a popular Israeli boy’s name, also found as a surname.

Unusual alternative to Roman, chosen for his son by Matthew Modine.

A classic Gaelic name, but too hoary to be a hit here.

Might be asking for trouble, especially when your son reaches the Terrible Twos.

Gedaliah is a somewhat obscure biblical figure who ruled Judea under the Babylonians. In the past it has mainly been used by Jewish parents, but now it has some potential as an unusual name with that stylish Old Testament sound.

This name may be "great" in Bahasa (the main language of Indonesia), but the sound does not sit lightly on the English-speaking tongue.

Simple plus unusual is a winning combination.