User-created list
By perrywings · Updated May 2023
Across 148 pages
of 148
Greek
"lion-man"
Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend,…
Derick is a masculine name that originated as a variation of Derek, which itself derives from the Germanic name Theodoric, meaning 'ruler of the people.' This Old German name combines 'theud'…
Kamarion is a modern masculine name that has gained recognition in the United States since the early 2000s. It appears to be a creative extension of names like Kamari or Kameron, possibly combining…
Irish
"fair"
Finnian is a fair jig of a name, energetic and easy on the ear. Finnian (and brother Finian) is also familiar in its alternate spelling through the classic 1968 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow ,…
Spanish and Italian
"moorish"
Mauro, a Top 100 name in Spain and Puerto Rico, is etymologically unrelated to the girls' name Maura, but that won't stop many English speakers from drawing the comparison.
Dutch, Punjabi, Albanian
"from Hadria; gaining; golden life"
There's something particularly attractive about names with an interior " j " and Arjan is a prime example. The Punjabi version is pronounced with a conventional j as in jar; the Dutch Arjan, which is…
Spanish variation of Ephraim
On the Latino Hit Parade, heard much more often than the English version.
Hebrew
"God is my strength"
An Israeli place-name as well as being the Hebrew form of Gabriel.
Variation of Manuel
Because of shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, this has become a generic term for pricey stilettos, as in "I must have those Manolos."
French
"one who pierces the valley"
There are several Percivals scattered through the Harry Potter series, which might help transform the old-fangled, fussy image it has accrued. Actually, the original Percival was the one perfectly…
Arabic
"settler"
Adnan in the Muslim religion was an ancestor of Muhammad. More recently, the name was introduced to many Westerners via Adnan Syed, the young man at the center of the sensational Serial podcast.
Nehemias is a masculine name that represents the Latin form of Nehemiah, derived from Hebrew origins. The name means 'comforted by God' or 'God consoles,' carrying profound religious significance. In…
French form of German Emmerich
"power"
A name popular both in France (where it's Number 405) and within the Cajun population, it's more substantial than Eric, and occurs twice in the Harry Potter series.
Arabic variation of Solomon
Muslim name very popular in North Africa.
"baby bustard"
You may well wonder what a "bustard" is, given the odd meaning of this widely-used Arabic name. It's a large bird. Usman is widely used throughout Muslim communities worldwide, particularly in South…
Spanish variation of Christopher
"bearer of Christ"
The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.
"generosity, nobility"
A virtuous name derived from the same root ( karuma ) as Karim and Akram. Notably borne by Greco-Roman wrestler Karam Gaber and break dancer Kid Karam, the name is also used as a surname.
Literature
"king"
The name of the King of Rohan in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings , supposedly a translation of Rohirric Tûrac ("king"). Tolkien based the Rohirric language on Old English.
German diminutive of Hans
"God is gracious"
Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.
"brother of the exalted one"
Hiram is the kind of forgotten biblical name that adventurous parents who wish to move beyond David and Daniel are beginning to reconsider--even though it has bits of its old stiff-collared image…
