Names That Mean Battle
Across 6 pages
of 6
Keen
English, Irish
"bold, brave; battle"
Actor Mark Ruffalo honed this surname down to its basics when he chose it for his son. A more usable expansion might be the Irish surname Keenan/Keenen.
Brunhilde
German from Norse
"armed for battle"
Form of Brunhild
Wybert
English
"bright battle"
Wybert is a medieval variation of the Old English name Wigberht, from the components wig , meaning "battle," and beorht , "bright."
Cadfael
Welsh
"battle prince"
A rare Welsh name with a wonderful meaning, Cadfael is the name of the detective monk character in Ellis Peters' medieval murder mysteries. It's usually pronounced CAD-vyle in Welsh, although Peters…
Cadwalader
Welsh
"battle leader"
An ancient Welsh name belonging to an early modern king and saint, among others. The Irish cognate, Cathal, is more widely known.
Casek
Variation of Cadok, Cornish
"battle"
This upbeat and unusual Cornish name boasts the funky nickname Caz.
Swanild
Germanic
"swan battle"
Form of Swanhild
Kasey
Variation of Casey, Irish
"brave in battle"
Casey-with-a-K never quite reached the heights of the original, but it broke the Top 500 for boys in the late '80s and early '90s.
Borna
Croatian
"battle"
Popular in its native country, also used in Serbia and Macedonia as Borko.
Isto
Diminutive of Istrael and Taisto, Finnish
"he who struggles with God; battle"
A nickname for two Finnish names: Taisto and Istrael, the Finnish form of Israel.
Casworon
Cornish
"battle hero"
Casworon was derived from the Celtic elements cad , meaning "battle," and kawaro , hero. Caz is an enviably cool nickname.
Marylou
English, combination of Mary and Lou
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
Truncated form of Marylouise. As two separate words, Mary Lou has popped up a number of times, as the title, for example, of two early feature films. There's also a Nickelodeon actress named Mary Lou…
Marylouise
English, combination of Mary and Louisa
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
Homely compound name which may be written as one word, two words (Mary Louise), or hyphenated (Mary-Louise). The original meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from…
Cadok
Cornish variation of Cadoc, Welsh
"battle"
Whether you choose to end it with a C or a K, Cadok possesses an energy that many parents seek out for their child's name. Welsh Cadoc has a saintly connection, if that sways you either way.
Cadan
Cornish, Welsh
"battle"
Cadan is an attractive Cornish name that rhymes with Madden. Despite its modern appearance and the recent history of many Cornish names, Cadan is actually one of the older Cornish names in use today.
Bodil
Norse
"battle remedy"
A popular Scandinavian name which ranked consistently in Norway's Top 100 in the middle of the 20th century. The Danish version of the Oscars are named the Bodil Awards, after two famous Danish…
Ilda
Italian variation of HIlda, German
"battle woman"
The Italian form of Hilda is rarer but sweeter than its mother name, which still isn't ready for revival in the US.
Swanilde
Germanic
"swan battle"
Form of Swanhild, but however you spell it, a difficult name for a 21st century child. Shorten it to Swan.
Swanhilda
Germanic
"swan battle"
Form of Swanhild, borne by the heroine of the ballet Coppélia . The -a ending certainly gives this ancient name a lighter, more balletic feel.
Louiseu
Jèrriais
"famous battle"
Jèrriais (Jersey) form of Louise, sometimes shortened to Loulou.