Pet Names · Cat Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
French from German
"courageous people"
Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from — Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut. Trivia tidbit:…
English diminutive of Theobald, German
Tib was a unisex nickname in the 13th century, used as a short form of Theobald and Isabel. As Theobald waned in popularity, it became far more associated with girls, so much so that Tib was a term…
English word name
"more courageous"
If Brave isn't enough for you, you might try Braver, which has an even stronger meaning. Braver's -er ending gives it surname style.
Medieval form of Theobald
"from bold people"
Similar in sound to the French "Thibault", which is far more popular, Tybalt is best known as the bloodlustful and brawling cousin of Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Perhaps this…
English
"courageous raven"
We can hear the kids teasing him from here.
Spanish
"brave, strong"
An elaboration on the sunny Spanish place name Valencia.
Latin
"healthy"
Used in Italy and Spain, but in non-Latin countries could be confused with Valencia.
Dutch
"brave friend"
Dutch form of Baldwin
English word name from Latin
"brave"
Valiant is an inspirational word name that can work for a child of any gender, though the six babies given this name last year were all boys.
German
"brave as a bear"
Too close in sound to the so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out Bernard.
"strong; brave as a bear"
Deceptively close to Bernardo, but suaver.
Cornish, English
"bold friend"
An English surname and occasional first name deriving from the same root as Baldwin, "bold or brave friend".
Greek from German
"courage of the bear"
Rhythmic and powerful, if you don't mind the nickname Vern.
One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.
Persian
"brave, valiant"
Elegant and strong, Tahmina is the name of a princess in the 10th century Persian epic, the Shahnameh . Meaning "brave, valiant, powerful", it is distinctly linked to Persian culture but also works…
French and English surname
"noble and brave"
Derived from the personal name Adalhard.
Japanese
"brave man"
"brave or gallant"
This charming Japanese name, with two meanings every little boy would love to have, was briefly in the Canadian Top 100 in the early 20th Century. There are many famous bearers of the name, such as…
"brave first-born son"
An auspicious name for a first-born son with Japanese heritage. Some may be familiar with the name Yuichi from the anime series Kanon .
"brave, bold helmet, keen protection"
A rarely used member of the Ken- family, Kenelm has a rugged, surname-style feel. Borne by a 9th century martyr and a member of the Mercian royal family, it could make an intriguing namesake for a…
