Cat Names That Mean Brave

Rhythmic and powerful, if you don't mind the nickname Vern.

A new, rising word name for boys that has the advantage of sharing sounds with more common names like Bryson and Braydon. And the disadvantage of getting confused with them.

Dinand is popular in the Netherlands thanks to a local singing sensation. Dinand is one of many Dutch short forms that come from the middle or end of a name -- think Bas for Sebastian or Hans from Johannes -- rather than from the beginning as is more usual in the U.S. and UK, though we're catching on.

The name of a monk who is the patron saint of blacksmiths -- not a twentieth-century occupation or baby name.

A rare yet familiar sounding Spanish compound name, blending Evaristo and Eduardo together. It also appears in the Oz novels by L. Frank Braum (the source of the musical Wicked).

Virtually unknown in this country, has an interesting, rhythmic feel.

An English surname and occasional first name deriving from the same root as Baldwin, "bold or brave friend".

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.

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

Dutch form of Baldwin

An auspicious name for a first-born son with Japanese heritage. Some may be familiar with the name Yuichi from the anime series Kanon.

Scottish Gaelic form of Richard, also found as Risteard.

A more modern variation of Rǫskva, a Norse mythological name derived from rǫskr, "brave".

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

You’re unlikely to hear Howardena on a baby girl today, but art lovers may recognize it as the name of Howardena Pindell, an American painter and mixed media artist.

An elaboration on the sunny Spanish place name Valencia.

Gasira is a journeyed name with an ancient history. It started as the Arabic word gezira (also commonly transliterated as jazira and jazeera), meaning "island," and sometimes "peninsula."

Nanna is a name from Norse mythology that is among the Top 30 names in contemporary Denmark. Popular in Norway in the 19th century, Nanna may also be considered a short form of a range of names, from Anna to Johanna to Marianne. As widespread as it is in Scandinavia, though, it's hard to imagine Nanna making a mark as a girl's name in modern day America, given its use as a name for grandmothers.

Farrell is usually considered a boy's name, though the soft sound of this Irish surname makes it perfectly appropriate for a girl, reminiscent of Farrah.