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By namesfrombooks · Updated May 2023
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Italian variation of John
"God is gracious"
Giovanni is a venerable Italian classic that suddenly sounds fresh and cool. Ubiquitous in Italy, it has countless notable namesakes, from writer Boccaccio to designer Versace (nn Gianni).
Hebrew
"God is with us"
Emmanuel--spelled with one or two 'm's'-- was popular with early Jewish immigrants, until overused nickname Manny caused it to fade. Now, this important biblical name is being revived in its full…
French, German
"renowned warrior"
Kate and William shocked the world when they announced that they'd named their third child Louis, or Prince Louis Arthur Charles, to be more precise. But we've been predicting a comeback for this…
Arabic
"supreme, exalted"
This is one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, deemed by Muhammad to be a recommended name for a male child. In this country, it's been primarily associated with boxing immortal Muhammad Ali,…
French and English, feminine variation of Louis
Louise has for several decades now been seen as competent, studious, and efficient—desirable if not dramatic qualities. But now along with a raft of other L names, as well as cousin Eloise, Louise is…
German
"noble, bright"
Albert has acquired a new gloss as one of the top royal baby boy names , a considerable upgrade from its serious, studious image (think Einstein, Schweitzer). Albert became popular in Britain…
French from Latin
"youthful, sky father"
Wildly popular in the 1960s and '70s, Julie is no longer anywhere near as stylish as the name's longer forms. Try Juliet, Juliana, or even the more grownup Julia. Julia and Julie derive from Julius,…
French form of Lucian
"light"
Sophisticated Gallic version of Lucian, Lucien may appeal to parents attracted to this meaning over that of Lucas and Luke, which have a different root, and also looking for a more unusual choice.…
French variation of Peter
"rock, stone"
One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US,…
English
"wealthy protector"
The sophisticated Edmond and its nearly-identical twin Edmund are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. Parents looking for an alternative might…
French variation of Valentina
"strength, health"
For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.
Italian vernacular form of Louis
Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini..
German variation of Francis, Latin
"Frenchman or free man"
Franz is the German equivalent to Francis, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Franz outside of countries with Germanic origins. In America the name is often associated with celebrated author Franz…
Italian
"blessed"
This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.
French variation of Jasper, Persian
"bringer of treasure"
Jasper is an internationally-popular name that takes many forms, among them Casper, Gaspar, and the French version Gaspard. Virtually unknown in the US, Gaspard is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in…
French, from Latin
"greatest"
Like Maximilian, but with an attractive French twist.
Bartolomeo is a masculine Italian form of Bartholomew, derived from the Aramaic name Bar-Talmay, meaning 'son of Talmai' or 'son of the furrows.' The name gained prominence through Saint Bartholomew,…