Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
German
"famous warrior"
As heavy as a marble bust of Beethoven.
Norse
"mighty army"
Original and straightforward, but with little appeal.
English
"army guard"
With Yale and Brown in the mainstream, why not this upscale college name and surname as well.
Italian from German
"army man"
Army plus meaner equals an unappealing name.
French variation of Marcel
"little warrior"
Mime Marcel Marceau actually had two versions of the same name. Marcel, Marceau, Marcella, Marcus, Mark -- all are variation of the Roman mythological name Mars, the god of war.
"protecting army"
Formal name lacking any sparkle or sheen.
Irish
"red-haired warrior"
Irish surnames are hot, and this one can successfully cross the line to work for girls, replacing the outdated Casey. And only a dozen girls were named Clancy in the US in one recent year (along with…
Fish name; variation of Chad
"battle warrior"
Swam into style and quickly out again, on Chad's fish- er, coat-tails.
Sanskrit, Latvian
"possessing drops of rain; reed, water witch; estate ruler"
In Hindu tradition, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, whose name is often used as element of other names, such as Jaswinder or Rajendra. Its use as a feminine name may come from the Western…
Breton
"battle"
Rarely heard, and all too likely to be confused with Kevin.
Welsh
Cadell is a surname that is unlikely to win many supporters, except perhaps from parents looking for an alternative to Caden. But while Cadell is more distinctive, that L ending is weaker and less…
"warrior chief"
Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.
Scottish
"son of Arthur"
The Mc and Mac surnames are asserting themselves as first names and this is among the most usable. MacArthur or McArthur makes a perfect honorific for an ancestral Arthur and leads directly to the…
"battle man"
Cahir along with its traditional spelling Cathair is well-used in modern Ireland. Now it's finding a wider audience thanks to The Witcher , though Cahir is the main villain of the series. It was in…
Word name
Dagger is one of the new badass baby names , a sharp and scary choice that some parents may feel arm their child for battle in a cruel modern world.
Latin
"from the sea"
Marine was trending for a long time in France, but the far right politician Marine (born Marion) LePen has dampened the mood.
Scandinavian
"war/battle"
While Americans may be more familiar with the male form of this name, thanks to actor Viggo Mortensen, Vigga is a popular name in contemporary Denmark and prime for wider export. It's a name with a a…
Danish
"desiring battle"
From the land that brought us Viggo, we now have Villads. Not as punchy as the romantic sounding Viggo, but infinitely better than the name it derives from: Willehadus.
French from German
"battle fortress"
Creative surname choice, associated with the great French postimpressionist Edouard Villard.
"battle stone"
Dignified first name of poet W. H. Auden, less exposed than his currently stylish surname.
