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By dreapress · Updated May 2023
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English word name or English variation of Lanzo, German "long, pointed, medieval weapon; land"
"long, pointed, medieval weapon; land"
Though the fuller Lancelot has for the most part been shunned as a 'too-much-name' name, the short form Lance has been consistently in or around the Top 500 since 1938, climbing as high as Number 76…
Hebrew
"God is gracious"
Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna. A notable namesake is the author of Heidi ,…
German, diminutive of Margarethe
"pearl"
Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism. In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood…
Slavic and German variation of Regina
"queen"
Strong and solid, with a touch of foreign intrigue, it's the most popular of the rain-related names, with a variety of pronunciations—RAY-na, rah-EE-na, or RY-na. Alternate spellings Reyna and Rayna…
Italian from German
"old and wise"
A spirited German name very popular in Italy and occasionally used here, Aldo is one of the unique baby names with international flair. And names that mean wise have an enduring appeal.
German diminutive of Elisabeth
"pledged to God"
Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…
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…
Spanish diminutive of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Variant of Mariella
Latin
"rival"
Derived from the Latin word aemulus , Emil is a name with international appeal. Concise and sturdy but with the gentle Em sound, Emil is popular across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Finland, from…
"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…
Feminine form of Pius or diminutive of Olympia, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit
"pious; from Mount Olympus; beloved"
Soft, light, and international, Pia is familiar across Europe, South America, and Asia. Usually considered a feminine form of the Latin Pius — lending it a surprisingly serious and spiritual air — it…
English surname name; "to pull"
"to pull"
Terrell feels like a modern invention based on Terrence, but Tyrrell has plenty of history as a surname name. It probably comes from an Anglo-Norman nickname for a stubborn person, from the Old…
German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech variation of Sophie or Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
A streamlined spelling of Sophie, popular in several European nations, including Norway, Czechia, Denmark, and The Netherlands. While English speakers may say this as SO-fee, it may also be said as…
Greek
"born on the island of Delos"
Delia is a somewhat neglected southern charmer that stands on its own but also might be short for Adelia or Cordelia. Delia's name is based on that of the Greek island of Delos, which in Greek myth…
Spelling variation of Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Fredrick is one of the streamlined versions of Frederick, a solid classic boys' name on the brink of rediscovery. Fredrick was given to about 100 baby boys in the US last year, versus about 600 for…
German variation of Oscar
Oskar is to Oscar as Jakob is to Jacob: more distinctive and continental.
"famous ruler"
The aristocratic--if not haughty--Roderick was nevertheless consistently in the Top 1000, reaching as high as Number 221 in 1967, when it was not uncommon to run into a Rod or a Roddy. It's at a low…
German, Russian, Polish, Scandinavian variation of Clara
"light"
German, Slavic and Scandinavian form of Clara, which is a Top 100 girl name in multiple European countries, including Austria, Croatia, Iceland and Poland. While Clara is fashionable in the US, the…
Variant of Stephen
If you wanted to try to get people to pronounce your son's first name the way Stephen Curry does, this might be a way to do it.
"flax"
Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…
