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Ancestral Names Repeated in My Geneology

  1. Joanna

    • Origin:

      Variation of Johanna

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached saint status. Other names related to Joanna include Joan, Joanne, Johanna, and Jana.
  2. Johann

    • Origin:

      German variation of Johan or John, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      The traditional German spelling of this name, used by Goethe, Bach and many other luminaries. Familiar in the US, but retains an Olde World feel, for better and worse.
  3. 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.
  4. Jonathan

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "gift of Jehovah"

    • Description:

      Jonathan was derived from the Hebrew name Yehonatan, eventually contracted to the modern Yonatan, meaning "gift of Jehovah." It comes from the elements yeho, in reference to God, and natan, meaning "to give." In the Old Testament, Jonathan was the valiant eldest son of King Saul, and it was his friendship with brother-in-law David that gave rise to the expression "Jonathan and David" to describe devoted, steadfast friends.
  5. Joshua

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "the Lord is my salvation"

    • Description:

      Joshua, a Top 10 name from 1983 until 2010, has dropped out of the Top 50 but manages to present a relaxed, attractive image, with a bit of the Old West mixed in with its biblical persona.
  6. Julia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"

    • Description:

      Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthful"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
  7. Juliana

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"

    • Description:

      Long common in Europe, the elegant and regal Juliana, also spelled with two n's, has invaded these shores, in tandem with the more classic Julia. Together with Julian, the name derives from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
  8. Junius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "born in June"

    • Description:

      Junius is one of those names that's growing on us, along with many of its Roman countrymen such as Julius and Atticus. We once thought it was a combination of the least attractive elements of Junior and Julius but now we think...well, we think it's okay. Not great, but okay.
  9. Justina

    • Origin:

      Latin, feminine variation of Justin

    • Description:

      Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar girl names starting with J.
  10. Jutta

    • Description:

      Jutta is a feminine name with Germanic origins, functioning as a medieval German form of Judith. The name Judith comes from Hebrew, meaning "woman from Judea" or "praised." Jutta has been used in Germany and Scandinavia for centuries and remains moderately popular in these regions. It gained some recognition in English-speaking countries through Jutta Kleinschmidt, the first and only woman to win the Dakar Rally. The name has a strong, distinctive sound with its crisp consonants. While uncommon in the United States and United Kingdom, Jutta offers an interesting European alternative to more familiar names like Judith or Julie.

  11. Katherine

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "pure"

    • Description:

      Katherine is one of the oldest, most diverse, and all-around best names: it's powerful, feminine, royal, saintly, classic, popular, and adaptable. Long one of the top girls' names starting with K, Katherine has now been unseated on the popularity list by upstarts Kennedy and Kinsley, but a dip in popularity only adds to its charm.
  12. Laelia

    • Origin:

      Latin family name and botanical name

    • Description:

      Upside: it has an interesting ancient look and feel, related to the Roman family name Laelius of uncertain meaning. There is also a type of orchid called the Laelia. Downside: possible confusion with all those Laylas, Lailas, etc. out there.
  13. Livia

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Olivia or Latin

    • Meaning:

      "blue, envious"

    • Description:

      Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy.
  14. Lorraine

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "from the province of Lorraine"

    • Description:

      Sweet Lorraine might just be old enough to be ripe for reconsideration. This French place name has moved in and out of fashion in the few hundred years it's been used as a girls' first name, somewhat influenced by the alternative name of Joan of Arc--Saint Joan of Lorraine. It was quite popular from the 1920s to the fifties, but has pretty much been in limbo since then.
  15. Lucius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "light"

    • Description:

      Lucius is an old Roman clan name that has lots of religious and literary resonance, yet is still vital today. It was the name of three popes, appears in several Shakespeare plays, and, like all the names beginning with 'luc' relates to the Latin word for light.It was one of a limited number of forenames used in ancient Rome, and because of its meaning was often given to boys born at dawn.
  16. Laucon
    • Malcolm

      • Origin:

        Scottish

      • Meaning:

        "devotee of St. Colomba"

      • Description:

        Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is also a hero name for many via radical civil rights activist Malcolm X.
    • Marcia

      • Origin:

        Latin, feminine version of Marcius

      • Meaning:

        "warlike"

      • Description:

        Marcia is an ancient Roman name which derives from Mars, the god of war. It was used by Dante in the Inferno and later by Thomas Hardy and others.
    • Marcus

      • Origin:

        Latin

      • Meaning:

        "warlike"

      • Description:

        Though ancient, Marcus now sounds more current than Mark, in tune with today's trend towards us-ending Latinate names.
    • Maria

      • Origin:

        Hebrew or Egyptian

      • Meaning:

        "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

      • Description:

        As a highly popular girls' name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used girl names starting with M.