Unique Names from History
Updated Thu Sep 14 2023
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Unique baby names aren't only the new and the invented; there are also many highly unusual names with deep historic roots. Celebrities have chosen unique historical names such as Hero and Lozen for their children.
Along with Hero and Lozen, other fashionable and unique names from history that would work well on modern babies include Alaric, Cassia, Cato, Eluned, Isolde, Leonidas, Meliora, and Xerxes. Among those with the strongest ties to their historical figures are Cicero, Godiva, Nefertiti, and Siddhartha.
Read more about this topic in our overview on unique names of every kind. Here's a selection of the most intriguing, but you'll find many more in our lists of mythological names, biblical names, and names from ancient cultures.
Names are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Acacius
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thorny; or, innocent, not evil"
- Achilles
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thin-lipped"
- Agrippina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"born feetfirst"
- Alaric
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"all-powerful ruler"
- Alethea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"truth"
- Alia
Origin:
Arabic feminine form of AliMeaning:
"supreme, exalted"
- Ambrosia
Origin:
Latin, feminine form of AmbroseMeaning:
"Immortal"
- Anselm
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"with divine protection"
- Apollonia
Origin:
Greek, Feminine variation of Apollo, Greek sun god.
- Aquilina
Origin:
Feminine variation of Aquilo, LatinMeaning:
"eagle"
- Archimedes
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"master planner"
- Artemisia
Origin:
Greek, variation of Artemis
- Asta
Origin:
NorwegianMeaning:
"divine strength"
- Atossa
Origin:
Greek from PersianMeaning:
"bestowing very richly, well trickling, well granting"
- Attila
Origin:
HungarianMeaning:
"little father"
- Aurelius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"the golden one"
- Austell
Origin:
Cornish place and saint's name
- Averil
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"boar battle"
- Avila
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"desired; or island, water"
- Azur
Origin:
Variation of Ezra, HebrewMeaning:
"help"
- Bathsheba
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"daughter of an oath"
- Berengaria
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"bear spear"
- Bohemond
Origin:
Latin
- Boudicca
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"victory"
- Brutus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"heavy, dull"
- Caedmon
- Cassander
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"light of man"
- Cassia
Origin:
Feminine form of Cassius or GreekMeaning:
"cinnamon"
- Cato
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"all-knowing"
- Catullus
Origin:
Latin, meaning unknown
- Charis
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"grace"
- Cicero
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"chickpea"
- Cleon
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"glorious, renowned"
- Cleopatra
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"glory of the father"
- Clovis
Origin:
Teutonic, French, early form of Ludwig or Louis
- Constantine
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"steadfast"
- Corinna
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"maiden"
- Decima
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"tenth"
- Drusilla
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fruitful"
- Dunstan
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dark stone"
- Durant
Origin:
English and French from LatinMeaning:
"enduring"
- Edda
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"poetry"
- Eluned
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"idol, image"
- Erasmus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"beloved, desired"
- Evadne
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"pleasing one"
- Galen
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"calm, healer"
- Genghis
Origin:
MongolianMeaning:
"universal ruler"
- Gershom
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"stranger, exodus"
- Gervase
- Giffard
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"puffy cheeks"
- Gilgamesh
Origin:
Akkadian from SumerianMeaning:
"the [kinsman] is a hero"
- Godiva
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"God's gift"
- Godric
Origin:
Anglo-SaxonMeaning:
"God's power"
- Haidee
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"modest"
- Hannibal
Origin:
Punic and AssyrianMeaning:
"grace of Baal, god of fertility and fortune"
- Hero
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"demi-god"
- Hildegarde
Origin:
French from GermanMeaning:
"comrade in arms"
- Idonea
- Innogen
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"daughter, maiden"
- Iolo
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"weathy lord"
- Ismay
Origin:
Possible variation of EsmeMeaning:
"esteemed, beloved"
- Isolde
Origin:
Welsh, GermanMeaning:
"ice ruler"
- Ivo
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"yew wood, archer"
- Jevon
Origin:
Welsh, variation of EvanMeaning:
"gift of God"
- Josias
Origin:
Latin variation of Josiah, HebrewMeaning:
"God supports, heals"
- Kassiani
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"cinnamon"
- Kenelm
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"brave helmet, protection"
- Lalage
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"to chatter"
- Lambert
Origin:
French and GermanMeaning:
"land brilliant"
- Leif
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"heir, descendant"
- Leonidas
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lion"
- Livia
Origin:
Diminutive of Olivia or LatinMeaning:
"blue, envious"
- Lothar
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"famous army"
- Lozen
Origin:
Apache, Native AmericanMeaning:
"one who steals horses"
- Lucretius
Origin:
Latin clan nameMeaning:
"wealth"
- Ludmila
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"beloved of the people"
- Margery
Origin:
Medieval variation of MargaretMeaning:
"pearl"
- Meliora
Origin:
Latin, CornishMeaning:
"better; honey"
- Mirabai
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"ocean"
- Nefertiti
Origin:
EgyptianMeaning:
"the beautiful one has arrived"
- Oriel
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"golden"
- Ovid
Origin:
Latin, meaning unknown
- Pagan
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the country, countryman"
- Pascoe
Origin:
Cornish variation of PascalMeaning:
"Easter"
- Perkin
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"little Peter"
- Pippin
Origin:
Variation of PepinMeaning:
"awe-inspiring"
- Ragna
- Ramses
Origin:
EgyptianMeaning:
"son of God"
- Rayner
- Saladin
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"peace through faith"
- Sanchia
Origin:
Spanish variation of SanciaMeaning:
"sacred"
- Sappho
Origin:
Ancient GreekMeaning:
"sapphire"
- Sargon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"true king"
- Seneca
Origin:
Latin surname and Native AmericanMeaning:
"people of the standing rock"
- Siddhartha
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"one who has accomplished a goal"
- Solon
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"the wise one"
- Swithun
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"quick, strong"
- Tace
- Tamerlane
Origin:
Turkic, MongolMeaning:
"iron"
- Tancred
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"thoughtful counsel"
- Theodosia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"giving to God"
- Thurstan
Origin:
Scandinavian, variation of ThurstonMeaning:
"Thor's stone"
- Wulfric
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wolf power"
- Wystan
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"battle stone"
- Xerxes
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"hero among heroes"
- Zillah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"shade"