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Our Family Names

butterflyfye
By butterflyfye
Updated Fri Apr 23 2021
Here are the names of people in my family. Some were before my time, some since. All are well suited to the individual, as it seems to go. Some I will need to look up the meanings for. Sometimes I know the first and middle names, but I will list all that I can. AND I will search further to fill any blank spaces. Enjoy! p.s. This is a work in progress...for now. So please be patient with me! Thank You! Also, I learned that names in blue are for boys, pink is for girls, and black is for a name that can be used either way.
  1. Julian

    • Origin:

      English from Latin, variation of Julius

    • Meaning:

      "youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"

    • Description:

      Cool and charming, with plenty of flair and sophistication, Julian manages to strike the balance between being a sensible classic and contemporary choice. Appealingly international, it is no wonder Julian is a rising star.
  2. Emma

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "universal"

    • Description:

      Emma has now been among the top girl names in the United States for several years, claiming the Number 1 crown in 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018 before dropping back to second place.
  3. Otto

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"

    • Description:

      Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
  4. Caleb

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "dog; whole heart"

    • Description:

      Caleb is an attractive Old Testament name that has been in the US Top 100 for nearly three decades now. Consistently popular but never too popular, Caleb feels more like a classic than a momentary trend.
  5. Vera

    • Origin:

      Russian

    • Meaning:

      "faith"

    • Description:

      Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple names such as Ada and Iris.
  6. Emily

    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Emil, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "rival"

    • Description:

      Emily may have dropped somewhat in the current standings, but it was the most popular girls' name for over a decade because it appeals on many levels: Emily is feminine, classic, simple, pretty, and strong. Emily is Number 1 among Gen Z names. It also has those nice literary namesakes, like Emily Dickinson and Emily Brontë.
  7. Christopher

    • Origin:

      Greek and Latin

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of Christ"

    • Description:

      Christopher derived from the Greek Christophoros, which is composed of the elements Christos, referring to Christ, and phero, meaning "to bear."
  8. Margaret

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "pearl"

    • Description:

      Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta, meaning "pearl."
  9. Daniel

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God is my judge"

    • Description:

      Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real downside: There are about 10,000 Daniels named each year, making it a less than distinctive choice.
  10. Edith

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "prosperous in war"

    • Description:

      Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste for old-fashioned names with a soft but strong image.
  11. Andrew

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"

    • Description:

      During its Top 10 heyday in the late 90s and early oughts, Andrew was one of the "cooler" classic boy names, an update on the old guard Roberts and Richards.
  12. Benjamin

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "son of the right hand"

    • Description:

      Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades, ranking in the US Top 50 for almost half a century and the Top 10 from 2015 until 2023.
  13. Nathan

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "given"

    • Description:

      Nathan is an Old Testament name that's ranked among the Top 100 names for boys for 50 years, and could well stay there for another 50. Strong, solid, and attractive, It's a name familiar to every schoolchild through Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary War spy.
  14. John

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
  15. Reuben

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "behold, a son"

    • Description:

      Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a, meaning "to see, to understand," and ben, "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah and the founder of one of the tribes of Israel.
  16. Richard

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "dominant ruler"

    • Description:

      A classic old Norman name popular for a thousand years and favored for kings (Richard Nixon was named for Richard the Lionhearted), as well as the hoi polloi (as in every Tom, Dick and Harry), Richard was the sixth most popular US boys’ name in 1925, and was still Number 8 in 1950, but is now much less popular.
  17. Ruth

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "compassionate friend"

    • Description:

      Ruth, with its air of calm and compassion, was the third most popular name in the 1890s, remaining in the Top 10 through the 1920s. It's still in use today as some parents tiring of Rachel and Rebecca are giving Ruth a second thought. Some see such Old Testament girls’ names as Ruth and Esther rising on the heels of boy equivalents Abel and Moses.
  18. Robert

    • Origin:

      English from German

    • Meaning:

      "bright fame"

    • Description:

      Robert was the Number 1 boys' name in the US in both 1925 and 1950, and in fact was in the Top 25 for more than a century, giving it true classic status. Strong if not quite stylish, Robert remains in the Top 100 for baby boys as a family favorite.
  19. Stephen

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "garland, crown"

    • Description:

      Stephen, also spelled Steven, is a strong and likable classic, with the he's-a-great-guy short form Steve. Though not as well-used or fashionable as it was in its heyday -- it was a Top 25 name from 1946 to 1957 -- it's still a widely used name. It remains an even more popular in Ireland.
  20. Lee

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "pasture, meadow"

    • Description:

      A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet modern, unisex but not newly-minted.