Names with Military Meanings

Tew many conflicting word spellings.

Formal name lacking any sparkle or sheen.

The M and the R add welcome strength.

A lengthy Olde World route to Nick.

Last-name-first-name with a romantic but dangerous edge.

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 lot of vigor.

This Dutch name derives from the old Germanic name, Farahild. It is quite common in the Netherlands.

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 nicknames Mac or Art

Shiva is one of the principle deities of Hinduism. Shiva is the powerful god of both destruction and resurrection but is also associated as the patron god of yoga, meditation and arts. Shiva's wife is Parvati, the mother goddess of creation.

St Cadoc was an early Welsh churchman, who gave his name to several villages in Wales, and according to his Life knew King Arthur. Less popular than other C__C names like Cormac and Cedric, Cadoc would be an almost unique, but easy-to-pronouce choice.

Cathan is one Irish boys' name that remains underused and would be an intriguing way to honor an ancestral Catherine. It is related to Cain and, theoretically, the nouveau Cayden.

Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls, especially with the Sasha spelling attached to one of the First Daughters.

Baby-naming rule #984: forget any name that contains the syllable wig.

Pleasant surname connected to humorist James Thurber, with a sound as happy as a baby's gurgle.

This name of the mythological sister of Mars might be used for a girl born under one of the signs ruled by the planet Mars--Aries or Scorpio. She is the personification of the war cry.

With Yale and Brown in the mainstream, why not this upscale college name and surname as well.

Tolkien may have been inspired by this unisex name of a Celtic goddess of war. Welsh poet Dylan Thomas named his daughter the variation Aeronwy. With goddess names so hot for baby girls, this ethereal choice is one to consider.

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.

Inventive female form of Aloysius.

As Harrison is to Harry, Garrison is to Gary: both of the longer versions sound more modern and appealing. NPR's Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor was born Gary.