170+ Names That Mean Warrior

Armando takes the flat-footed Herman and makes it romantic. This is another of the Latin names we expect to be seeing more of.

Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.

Rarely heard, and all too likely to be confused with Kevin.

Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter Marlowe.

This charming name, popular in France and the Netherlands, has not traveled to the U.S. yet but would make a modern way to honor grandma Mary or Louise, or as a perfect short form of Mary Louise. Or, with the growing fashion for nickname names, it can stand perfect well on its own. One of several similar variations — Lou, Lilou, Louane — in vogue in Europe.

With Norse (and pseudo-Norse) names such as Thor, Odin and Magnus growing in popularity, this one, which refers to warriors destined for Valhalla on account of their bravery, might have some appeal outside Scandinavia. Its slightly Eeyore-ish sound is balanced out by connections to some major historical figures, including a Norwegian prime minister.

Long connected to the world of movie biz thanks to Warner Bros, Warner is tough sounding surname of Germanic origin. While some English speakers may find it leans a little too close in sound to "worn out" or "warmer", it nevertheless shares the cool -er ending of contemporary favorites like Sawyer, Parker, Cooper, and Carter, while also matching the sturdy sounds or feel of Warren or Walter.

his engaging French saint's name, pronounced like tangy, with a hard 'g,' also has a creative connection to French surrealist painter Yves Tanguy.

Marcia is the most common version of this group of names in the U. S., now found more often among moms and grandmas than babies. Marsha was a Top 100 name in the 1950s, when Marcy was its common go-by name.

A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.

Possibly related to the Ermin- names (which gave us Emma and her variants) or to Herman OR to the Persian/Kazakh/Armenian names Arman or Armen, this is an unusual choice which fits current trends.

When it's spelled with two dots over the 'u' in German, Gunther is pronounced GUWN-ter, but it has a much softer sound when the 'h' is voiced by English-speakers, as it was, for example, for the name of a character in Friends.

German might seem like an unlikely occupant of the Top 1000 list, unless you realize that it's a Spanish name, with the accent on the second syllable. It's been on the U.S. list since 1973.

Euro-cool. Heard more in Scotland than in England or the US, Ludovic Lesly is a character in the Sir Walter Scott novel Quentin Durward and Sir Ludovic Kennedy was a noted Scottish broadcaster and writer. Cute nickname: Ludo.

Last-name-first-name with a romantic but dangerous edge.

A German surname name deriving from the same root as English Ryder. Traditionally, it was the name of the second lowest hereditary rank of the nobility, roughly equivalent to English Baronet. Notable associations are British actor Paul Ritter and a popular European chocolate brand.

Levent is a common name in Turkey, derived from Ottoman Turkish levend — a soldier in the Ottoman navy. The name also has connections to the Venetian navy in renaissance times.

Rarely used, and for good reason. Alonzo is a preferable choice.

It's hard to believe now that Herman was once, at the turn of the last century, a Top 50 name, remaining in the Top 100 until 1935, and even harder to imagine it making a comeback. But then again, our parents thought the same thing about Max and Jake. Consider the French Armand or Spanish Armando instead. Notable bearers include writers Herman Melville and Hermann Hesse--and then there was TV's Herman Munster.

While this may look like an animal related word name to those unfamiliar with it, Roar is a Norwegian name derived from the Old Norse element hróðr meaning "fame". combined with either herr meaning "warrior" or "geirr meaning "spear". It can also be spelled as Hroar.