Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
German
"worthy warrior"
In literature identified with The Sorrows of Young Werther -- not much to wish on a child.
"elf warrior"
This name woould be hard to picture in a contemporary kindergarten, though it does have some cultural cred via Finnish architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto. Aalto would actually make a more…
word name, from the "Australian and New Zealander Army Corps"
"Australian and New Zealander Army Corps"
To most Australians and New Zealanders, using the name Anzac might feel sacrilegious now, as the ANZAC story has become interwoven with national identity. But Anzac was used as a name for both boys…
Italian variation of Humbert
"renowned warrior"
A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community. The writer-semiotician Umberto Eco is a noteworthy namesake.
Old English
"Strength of the army"
Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon.…
Norse
"Thor the warrior"
Pleasant surname connected to humorist James Thurber, with a sound as happy as a baby's gurgle.
Celtic
"warrior god"
Tew many conflicting word spellings.
French
"warrior"
his engaging French saint's name, pronounced like tangy, with a hard ' g ,' also has a creative connection to French surrealist painter Yves Tanguy.
Greek
"army of victory"
A lengthy Olde World route to Nick.
English
"boar battle"
One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares…
Germanic
"battle"
Derived from the Germanic element badu "battle" combined with Old Norse hildr "battle", this name belonged to a 7th-century English saint who became queen of the Franks after being sold to them as a…
"armed for battle"
Variant of Brunhild, still clad in heavy armor. Though the heroine Brunhilda of Quentin Tarantino's recent film Django Unchained may have given this version of the name new appeal.
Welsh
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…
"battle of man"
Andromache is a name found scattered throughout ancient literature. She was Hector's long-suffering wife in The Iliad and The Odyssey , featured in The Trojan Women and Andromache by Euripides, then…
"honor in battle"
This surname borne by several early Welsh leaders has a lot of energy.
French variation of Sasha, Russian diminutive of Alexander, Greek
"defending warrior"
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. Sacha with this…
Irish
"little battler"
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.
"battle rule"
The name of an ancient Irish saint is in the contemporary Irish Top 50. While it's one of the rare Irish names for boys that hasn't immigrated to the U.S., it may follow brothers Aidan and Declan to…
Latin
"a spearman, a warrior"
An adolescent boy might have problems with the first syllable.
French from German
"famous in battle"
Pronounced klo-TEELD, this name is well used in France, but rarely heard here; it has a chic and sophisticated air.
