Names That Mean Freedom

  1. Kermit
    • Origin:

      Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
    • Meaning:

      "without injunction, without envy"
    • Description:

      Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name.
  2. Darby
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "from the deer estate"
    • Description:

      Spirited and bubbly, but handsome and preppy too, Darby is a surname style choice that fits in well with the likes of Alby and Lennox.
  3. Karl
    • Origin:

      German and Scandinavian variation of Charles
    • Description:

      Manly almost to the point of macho.
  4. Carlos
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese variation of Charles, which has been used in solid numbers in the US for as long as data has been kept. Carlos has never fallen out of the Top 600, but peaked from the 70s-early 2000s. Today Carlos is still within the Top 200. Notable namesakes include musician Santana, writers Fuentes and Castaneda, and numerous athletes. Carlos Irwin Estevez is the birth name of Charlie Sheen.
  5. Carly
    • Origin:

      English feminization of Carl, German
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Though a couple of its more "creative" spellings—Carli and Karlee, for example—are still on the rise, this feminine form of Carl, popularized by singer Carly Simon in the 1970s, could by no stretch be considered fashionable. Despite its decline, the name has still seen some use in the entertainment industry, from Nickelodeon's iCarly to Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen.
  6. Carolyn
    • Origin:

      English variation of Caroline, French
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      The phonetic Carolyn spelling, which was very popular from the 1920s to the '60s, has been steadily on the wane while Caroline herself has stayed strong.
  7. Carla
    • Origin:

      Feminization of Carl, German, Carlo, Italian, and Carlos, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      While Charlotte and Caroline are considered stylish and classic members of the Charles family, this Germanic form peaked in the US at Number 76 in 1965. It fell out of favor in the 2010s, but recent years have seen it re-enter the Top 1000.
  8. Charlize
    • Origin:

      Afrikaans feminization of Charles, French
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlize is a name that owes its very life to a star: elegant blond South African actress Charlize Theron. She was named after her father, whose name was Charles. Charlize jumped onto the popularity lists in 2004, the year the actress won the Oscar for lead actress in Monster.
  9. Carolina
    • Origin:

      Variation of Caroline; also place-name
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Romantic, and classy, this variation heats up Caroline and modernizes Carol, adding a southern accent. A popular choice in Portugal, Spain, Mexico, and Italy, it recently entered the US Top 500.
  10. Dermot
    • Origin:

      Irish, Anglicization of Diarmaid
    • Meaning:

      "free from envy"
    • Description:



      Dermot is an appealing, relatively undiscovered Irish mythological hero's name long popular in the Old Country, and imported into the American consciousness by actor Dermot Mulroney. We see it in the next Celtic wave following Connor and Liam.
  11. Carol
    • Origin:

      English, feminine variation of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a name for baby girls born at Christmas. because of its association with Christmas carols.
  12. Armani
    • Origin:

      Italian surname derived from Herman or Arman, German or Persian
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ermanno; soldier; wish,hope"
    • Description:

      Armani is catching on along with other brand names, and this one is among the most gender-neutral — sitting in the Top 500 for both boys and girls. Its similarity to the likes of rising stars Amari, Arlo, and Amias, along with the more classic Arthur and Giovanni helps it feel more "name-y" than "brand-y".
  13. Frost
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "freezing"
    • Description:

      Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other seasonal weather names like Winter and Snow.
  14. Carlotta
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Charlotte, French diminutive of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Carlotta has a large measure of finger-snapping charm and substance — despite being a not too pleasant character in The Little Mermaid. Carlotta is also the diva/prima donna in The Phantom of the Opera, and there was an Empress Carlotta of Mexico.
  15. Charlee
    • Origin:

      Variation of Charlie, English diminutive of Charlotte, French "free man"
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlie in all its forms has been a popular gender neutral name since the early 2000s and is now given almost equally to girls and boys. While it did once lean more (statistically) masculine, it has been used on girls too since the before the 20th century.
  16. Frostine
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "freezing"
    • Description:

      Frostine, best known in the U.S. as the name of the Candyland queen, is newly fashionable in France and is certainly a choice that any little girl the world over would love. Fanciful, if over-the-top, but a perfect name for a winter baby girl.
  17. Scheherazade
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "noble lineage"
    • Description:

      Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights. Her story is even more remarkable than the tales she tells.
  18. Fanny
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Frances, English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from France; free man"
    • Description:

      As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.
  19. Carlo
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Charles, French
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      An energetic and friendly Italian classic, Carlo is popular in its native Italy, but also familiar across Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France, and Brazil. A variation of the regal French and English classic Charles, it is ultimately derived from the Latin Carolus and the Germanic Karl, meaning "free man".
  20. Charlene
    • Origin:

      English feminization of Charles, German and French
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlene is a Charlotte variation that, along with similar names like Arlene and Marlene, spiked in popularity in the 1940s and fifties, reaching a high of Number 100 in 1949. Most parents today would prefer one of the note classic versions -- or even nickname Charlie.

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