Dog Names That Mean Survivor or Fighter

Although it looks like an English placename, the surname Crowley is an anglicization of the Irish O Cruadhlaoich. A famous bearer was the occultist Aleister Crowley, and it also appears on characters in Supernatural and The Walking Dead. It has started to get a little use in recent years, as part of the new wave of names ending in -ley.

A beautiful name found in Urdu Muslim communities.

An appealing Italianate alternative to the classic queenly Victoria, though in Anglophone countries it will be forever misunderstood as Victoria. Could be an appealing long form for a girl called not Vicky or Tory but Vita.

Inventive female form of Aloysius.

An attractive Nordic name most common in Iceland. It was derived from the Old Norse elements bryn, meaning "armor," and her, "warrior" or "army."

Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in the US, as a place name with sounds reminiscent of Paris, Meredith and Emma, it has plenty of potential as a unisex choice.

Fresher and more exciting than Vicki or Tori.

This appealing name of a mythical king of Tara whose reign brough prosperity to his kingdom is strongly associated with actor Sean. The Irish form is Conaire.

Largely male throughout Europe, this name--spelled with or without the c, is an energetic choice that has really taken off for girls here; it's been used for the daughters of Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, and Vanessa Williams. The Barack Obamas use Sasha as the nickname for their younger daughter, whose proper name is Natasha. Sasha Alexander, on the TV show Rizzoli & Isles, was born Suzana.

Largely male throughout Europe, this name--spelled with or without the c, is an energetic choice that has really taken off for girls here; it's been used for the daughters of Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, and Vanessa Williams. The Barack Obamas use Sasha as the nickname for their younger daughter, whose proper name is Natasha. Sasha Alexander, on the TV show Rizzoli & Isles, was born Suzana.

A delicate name with strong roots, Aniceta is most often used in contemporary Spain. Saint Anicetus was an ancient pope and martyr.

One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.

Traditionally written with an accent (Álvaro), this is a well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the United States in 1985, when it ranked Number 456. In Spain, Álvaro is a Top 20 boys' name.

A winning unisex word name, fresher than Victoria or Victor.

Unlikely to catch on in the Anglophone world, where parent name Ludwig still conjures up images of Beethoven. But Ludvig actually ranks among the top boy names in Norway and Sweden, while German form Ludwig ranks among the Top 100 boy names in Germany and Ludovico is cool in Italty.

A medieval French feminine form of Humbert, also found as Humbeline.

Aryan and Arian are common names in Iran but in the US and much of the English-speaking world, the term Aryan has strong connections with white supremacy. It's a name best avoided.

This short form of classic Victor is popular in its own right in Belgium and the Netherlands.

A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community.

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 interesting choice.