undefined's list "Old Fashioned Names - Volume 2 " of 1 great name ideas: Edmund - Edmund!

Old Fashioned Names - Volume 2 

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 popular choice on Nameberry and a solid presence on the England and Wales charts, where it's featured in the latter half since the 90s. 
 Dervied from Old English, Edmund is comprised of the elements ead and mund, meaning "rich, fortune" and "protection" respectively. As such, its meaning can be interpreted as "wealthy or fortunate protector". Regal and strong, Edmund's praises have been sung by Jane Austen ("There is nobleness in the name of Edmund") and John Keats ("Had my name been Edmund, I would have been more fortunate.")
 Famous bearers include the English astronomer Edmund Halley, after whom the comet was named, poet Edmund Spenser, great Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean, and New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary. Literary Edmunds appear in King Lear,, Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Dickens's Little Dorrit, and C.S Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.
 Edmund reached its highest point of popularity in the U.S. in 1914, when it was Number 130 but it hasn't appeared in the charts since 1997, making it an uncommon alternative to the Top 300 Edward. The Edmund spelling was chosen for 175 babies in a recent year, while Edmond was picked for 63. 
 
While Edmund is considerably rarer than other Ed- names then, if popularity does bother you, it is still worth bearing in mind that 1580 boys were called Edward in the US last year, while Edwin, Eduardo and Edgar are all in the Top 500. Edison and Eddie feature in the latter end of the charts and there's the popularity of nicknames Ted, Teddy, and Freddy to consider too, even more so if you happen to be in the UK. Should that put you off? Not necessarily, but it is something to think about if you're seeking rarity. 
 Eamon is the cheery Irish version.