User-created list
By Older Later · Updated January 2023
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Basque, medieval Spanish variation of Ignatius
"fiery"
Inigo, almost unknown in the U.S., is an intriguing choice, with its strong beat, creative and evocative sound, and associations with the great early British architect and stage designer Inigo Jones.…
Variation of Briar, English
"thorny patch"
Briar, but less wordy, more surname-y.
French
"flower"
Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur…
Celtic
"gold"
An unusual name for a child with golden hair. Auron is a Welsh female name with the same meaning.
Irish
"bright, shining"
A popular Irish name virtually unknown here, but one that feels like it could follow in the footsteps of Siobhan and Saoirse. It's pronounced SOR-ka, but with a little hiccup between the ' r ' and…
Celtic Mythology (one of the names of the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legends)
Nimue (Lady of the Lake) is the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. Nimue plays a pivotal role in many stories, including giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising…
Variation of Vienna, place-name
Vienne came to Western consciousness as the name of the French heroine of the popular 1990s book and then movie Chocolat . Vienne is a variation of Vienna, the name of the Austrian capital that has…
French, meaning unknown
Also seen as Alyenor and Eleonore, this is an old French name dating back to the Arthurian romances and still heard today.
Auralia is a feminine name with Latin origins, derived from "aureus" meaning "golden" or "gilded." This ethereal name evokes images of golden light, dawn, and radiance. Though relatively uncommon, it…
"blessed"
A French form of Benedict that makes a smooth and elegant choice, although the pronunciation may trip people up in an English speaking environment.
Irish, anglicized form of Old Gaelic Buadhachain
"victorious"
The surname of influential French fashion designer Marc Bohan could make a modern-sounding two-syllable boy's name, though it might be confused with Bowen.
Welsh
"fort near a slope"
Noted bearers of this surname include a metaphysical poet, a Nobel Prize winner, and a baseball Hall of Famer, so there's plenty of hero-name inspiration.
"silver, bright, brilliant, snow"
A modern, unisex Welsh name with a shiny feel, Eirian can mean "silver" (from Welsh arian ) or "snow, brilliant, bright" (from eira ). It may appeal to those who like rising star Eira, but want…
Welsh, river name
The striking name of a Welsh river, Eleri feels as mystical as it does modern. A recent year saw it feature in the England and Wales Top 1000, with 49 babies given the name: of them, 29 were born in…
German
"bald"
Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl , a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father,…
Laoghaire is a traditional Irish masculine name with deep Celtic roots. Pronounced approximately as 'LEE-ree' or 'LAY-ree', it derives from ancient Gaelic elements. Historically, the name was borne…
"son of Diarmaid"
McDermott is a common Irish surname that means, as all Mc or Mac names do, "son of" --then Dermott or Dermot, which is an Anglicization of the Irish Gaelic Diarmaid. The legendary Diarmaid was the…
"strength of a bull"
A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin…
