By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
German
"famous warrior"
As heavy as a marble bust of Beethoven.
Variation of Rudy, German
"famous wolf"
Rudy has been heard as a feminine name before — most notably on Rudy Huxtable, the young girl on The Cosby Show . This spelling makes it a bit girlier, although it's occasionally used for boys as…
Italian variation of Ludwig, German
Ludwig may be out, but Ludovico is very very in, at least in Italy. Undiscovered in the US and other English-speaking countries, Ludovico comes with the short form Ludo. The female form Ludovica is…
Russian variation of Roderick, German
"famous ruler"
Russian form of Roderick given to a small number of American boys each year.
Portuguese, German
"famous wealth"
A handsome Portuguese name derived from the old Germanic saint's name Audamar or Otmar. Especially common in Brazil.
Abbreviated form of Rudolf, German
Like Papa name Rudolf, Rolf never quite emigrated from the Bavarian Alps. You might want to move on to Rollo or Wolf.
English, Germanic
Alternate Anglicization of Rurik, a powerful name related to Roderick with a meaning to match. This spelling shortens naturally to cool nickname Rory.
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.
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…
Spelling variation of Rudolph, German
You've got the red-nosed reindeer to transcend, but there are other distinguished personages named Rudolph, Rudolf, and Rudy.
English
"very famous"
Named for Millard. Or the late great rock palace.
German feminization of ROLAND
"famous in the land"
This is a rarely heard feminization of the rarely heard Roland.
English, Welsh, and Spanish surname
"of the East"
For some, a name that will evoke the beauty of the national park in the Colorado Rockies.
"famous man, hero"
Masculine in an outmoded, unappealing way.
Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic
"famous in war"
This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls . Currently very popular in its…
"famous in battle"
Old and aristocratic European name that would be tough for an American kid to pull off.
Norwegian
This intriguing Scandinavian name is associated with Roald Dahl, author of the juvenile classics James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . You can honor an ancestral Ronald…
German surname
"famous sacrifice; famous pledge; famous noble offspring"
The German surname Kilmer is derived from Gilmer, which itself originated from various German given names. These personal names include Gildemir and Gilmar, meaning "famous sacrifice", along with…
Italian place-name
Straightforward but very unusual choice, deriving from a place-name in Italy. Renon is a city in South Tyrol. Its German name is Ritten, possibly associated with either the German word for a knight…
French
"healthy, wide"
Héloïse is a chic French name related to sleek, peppy classic Eloise. Both ultimately derive from the Germanic name Helewidis, which became Helewis in medieval England. In the twelfth century, the…
