Name Image
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
English from German
"serious, resolute"
Ernest is one of those sober, so-far-out-they're-beginning-to-be-reconsidered Great Uncle names. Ernest recently received a big style boost when Britain's Princess Eugenie chose it for her second…
"wolf-counsel"
Ralph has two diametrically different images: there's the suave Ralph Fiennes-type Brit (often pronounced Rafe), and then there's the Jackie Gleason blue-collar, bowling blowhard Ralph Kramden bus…
English
"fortunate protector"
The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. In fact, it's already a fairly…
English feminine variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
Joan was the perfect name choice for one of the leading characters on Mad Men , being a quintessential girls' name of the period. A Top 10 name in the 30s, a Top 50 name from the 40s through the…
German
"industrious one"
Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava. A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on…
Norse
"fair; Ing is beautiful"
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…
German variation of Charles
"free man"
This no-nonsense German variation of Charles is strong and sturdy. A top choice throughout the 20th century, Carl is now verging on falling off the charts.
"northerner, Norseman"
Norman, perhaps because it sounds so much like the word 'normal', conjures up the image of a normal-looking guy with a normal kind of job-- not necessarily an image many modern parents seek for their…
Variation of Brian, Irish
"strong, virtuous, and honorable"
Bryant has a longer history as a first name in the US than its father name Brian, ranking among the Top 1000 since the list began in 1880 while Brian only jumped on in 1925. That may be because the…
"strong, brave as a bear"
Bernard is obviously a saint's name, but how did it get to the big, benevolent dog? The eleventh century monk, patron saint of mountain climbers, who lived in the Alps, was famed for setting up safe…
Latin
"staff bearer"
The name of the greatest Roman poet and an early Irish saint who believed the earth was round, Virgil is heard most notably today as the name of designer Virgil Abloh of Off-White. The first century…
"shield-wolf"
Medieval name without much of a future.
English, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Lucia
"light"
Lucinda, an elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his 1605 novel Don Quixote , is a pleasingly pretty alternative to Lucy. It was subsequently used by Moliere in his play The Doctor in Spite…
Greek
"gift of God"
Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…
"strong in work"
Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from…
English and French diminutive of Marie
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
An underused classic that has proved surprisingly unisex over the last few decades, being given to roughly the same number of baby girls and boys in the US from the 1970s to the 2000s. For a girl,…
"bright army"
Names ending in bert have long been in limbo, but with the return of Albert, maybe there's hope for Herbert. who could share the Bertie nickname. Herbert is a name that's been used by English…
French, feminine variation of Paul
"small"
Pauline had its moment of glory a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline , released in 1914. A Top 50 name in the US between 1908 and 1930, it…
Welsh
"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"
A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…
Hebrew
"flowing down"
A feminization used more before Jordan joined the girls' camp.
