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Names That Mean Strong

Names That Mean Strong

Names that mean strong may help to arm your boy or girl for whatever lies ahead. Strength-related name meanings have become more popular in recent years, as parents seek to prepare their children for challenging times. And let's face it — what young boy or girl wouldn't like to discover that their name means "strong and healthy" (Kenzo) or "mighty in battle" (Matilda)?

Strong baby names come from a variety of different cultures and encompass many different styles. We often think of succinct, no-nonsense names like Drew and Zeke as strong, but there are also plenty of long and romantic names with strength or power in their meaning, like Gabriella and Valentino.

Along with Gabriella, other girl names that mean strength in the US Top 1000 include Audrey, Bridget, Valentina, and Valerie. In addition to Zeke, other strong boy names in the US Top 1000 include Anders, Ethan, Gabriel, and Griffin.

Uncommon strong baby names worth considering include Evander, Trudy, Valencia, and Zale.

If you're looking for a strong baby name that will empower your child, you can find our full list of the best baby names meaning strong or powerful here, ordered by current popularity on Nameberry.

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Strong Baby Names

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  1. EthanHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong, firm"
    • Description:

      Ethan is a name that succeeds in being at once classic and fashionable, serious and cheery, strong and sensitive. Given a big boost via the name of the Tom Cruise character in the Mission Impossible film series, Ethan has fallen from its peak at Number 2 in 2009 and 2010, but is still popular in the US along with several other countries.
  2. MatildaHeart
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "battle-mighty"
    • Description:

      Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its rise, along with others of its class like Eloise and Caspian.
  3. AudreyHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"
    • Description:

      Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour—in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful.
  4. GabrielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my strength"
    • Description:

      Gabriel was derived from the Hebrew name Gavri’el, taken from the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, in reference to God. In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is the archangel who heralded the news of Jesus' birth, and appears in Christian, Jewish and Muslim texts. He presides over Paradise, serving as the angel of mercy, life, joy, judgment, truth and dreams.
  5. EvanderHeart
    • Origin:

      Scottish; Greek
    • Meaning:

      "bow warrior; strong man"
    • Description:

      Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander.
  6. ValentinaHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "strength, health"
    • Description:

      Valentina is a more romantic and artistic ballerina-type successor to Valerie; a pretty, recommended choice. Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek and husband Francois-Henri Pinault named their daughter Valentina Paloma.
  7. AndrewHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Andrew is a variant of the Greek name Andreas, ultimately derived from the element aner, meaning "man." In the New Testament, Andrew was one of the twelve apostles and the first disciple to be called by Jesus. Although the origins of the name are Greek, Andrew is the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia, as well as Greece. It has associations with two of America's most famous artists, Wyeth and Warhol.
  8. AzielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my strength"
    • Description:

      Aziel is a rarely used name that connotes zeal and may become more familiar thanks to its fashionable initial A and z in the middle.
  9. EzekielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God strengthens"
    • Description:

      Ezekiel is derived from the Hebrew name Yechezqel, composed of the elements chazaq, meaning "to strengthen," and ’el, referring to God. Ezekiel is a prominent prophet in the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezekiel, predicting the fall of Jerusalem and eventual rehabilitation of Israel.
  10. GriffinHeart
    • Origin:

      Welsh, variation of Griffith
    • Meaning:

      "strong lord"
    • Description:

      Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983 after an absence of 75+ years.
  11. ZeldaHeart
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Griselda
    • Meaning:

      "gray fighting maid"
    • Description:

      Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
  12. BridgetHeart
    • Origin:

      Anglicized variation of Gaelic Brighid
    • Meaning:

      "strength or exalted one"
    • Description:

      Bridget is the Anglicized form of Brigid, an Irish-Gaelic name that was derived from the word brígh, which means "strength."
  13. AngusHeart
    • Origin:

      Anglicized form of Aonghus, Aonghas, Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "one strength"
    • Description:

      Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form Oenghus has important historical overtones in Scotland, and the Gaelic form Aonghas is associated with two distinguished modern poets. In Irish folklore, Angus Og is a chieftain-lord who used his magical powers for the pleasure and prosperity of mankind--and in Irish myth, Aonghus was the god of love and youth.
  14. ZekeHeart
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Ezekiel
    • Meaning:

      "God strengthens"
    • Description:

      Zeke is a casual form of the name Ezekiel, an important prophet from the Old Testament. How well Zeke holds up depends on the boy: it could be a cooler alternative of Zack, or it could prove too close to "geek." Both Zeke and Ezekiel lag behind in popularity on the UK charts.
  15. ValerieHeart
    • Origin:

      French variation of Valeria
    • Meaning:

      "strength, health"
    • Description:

      The name of a martyred medieval saint, Valerie has been on the popularity list since its earliest publication in 1880. Though it peaked in the 1960s, remaining in the Top 100 until 1988, it still doesn't sound terminally dated; the association with the word valor gives it a sense of boldness and makes it one of the special group of girl names that mean strong.
  16. ValentinoHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "strength, health"
    • Description:

      A dashing, dramatic and romantic Italian surname, associated with early movie heartthrob Rudolph, and later with Italian fashion designer Valentino (Garavani). Also the name of an early Roman saint, whose feast day marks the beginning of spring. Ricky Martin chose it for one of his twin boys.
  17. BrianHeart
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "strong, virtuous, and honorable"
    • Description:

      The origins of the name Brian are not entirely clear, but it is suspected that it evolved from an Old Celtic word related to nobility. In Ireland the name is associated with Brian Boru, the most famous of all Irish warrior-kings, credited with driving the Vikings out of Ireland. Bryan is a common alternative spelling.
  18. AndersHeart
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Andrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Friendly, unusual, but a decidedly Old Country version of Andrew and one of the classic Scandinavian names. It made a brief appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2006 and then reentered in 2010. Its rising popularity could be attributed to the interest in Anderson, which has been gaining steadily over the last fifteen years.

      Trivia tidbits: The patronymic Andersson is the second most popular surname in Sweden, and in Denmark, Donald Duck is called Anders.

  19. GabriellaHeart
    • Origin:

      Italian feminine variation of Gabriel
    • Meaning:

      "God is my strength"
    • Description:

      Gabriella is the feminine form of Gabriel, a name derived from the Hebrew Gavri’el. Gavri’el is composed of the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, referring to God. Gabriella is used among a variety of cultures in the US, including Italian Americans, Latinos, and in the Jewish community. Gabriela is the Spanish spelling.
  20. KenzoHeart
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "strong and healthy"
    • Description:

      Kenzo is a common Japanese name with several creative bearers: the single-named fashion designer, prizewinning architect Kenzo Takada, and painter Kenzo Okada, which makes it internationally recognizable.