Javad's list "Ancient (mostly) and/or Internationally-Inspired Names" of 20 great name ideas: Nerissa - Tarquin!

Ancient (mostly) and/or Internationally-Inspired Names

An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice. Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named Nerissa.

Nerissa

A welcoming name that seems to say "hello". Celio can be thought of as a much rarer male variation of Celia. With heavenly names in the ascendant, we may be hearing lots more of Celio.

Celio

Despite the reputation of the sagacious ancient Greek lawmaker, this name hasn't moved to the modern world. 

Solon

Talib is a North African name with an admirable meaning, associated with rapper Talib Kweli.

Talib

Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.


Cerelia

CAELUM

ROSHAN

CAIAN

ADIB

ARIUS

AMICUS

AYMAN

JARRAH

KAIYAN

Rarely heard in the US, Auberon has a gentle autumnal feel rare in a male name. A Shakespeare-adjacent choice, Auberon started out as as a pet form of Auberi, the French form of German Alberich.
 
Meaning "elf ruler" or "noble bear", depending on how you interpret the different elements, Auberon appeared as the name of a fairy king in the 13th-century epic poem Huon de Bordeaux. The poem was then translated into English in the 1540s, meaning it could be from this that Shakespeare got the name for Oberon, in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
 The most famous bearer of the name is British journalist and critic Auberon Waugh (whose grandfather was Aubrey and whose nickname was Bron), of the literary Waugh clan.
 The Oberon spelling is another recommended option.

Auberon

It may be a longshot – especially since it was given to less than 5 boys in the US in 2021 – but Piran could conceivably be a future Kieran, which is shaping up to being the next Kevin. Piran is the patron saint of miners and of Cornwall.


Piran

A gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, but with more masculine punch than Loren. 

Sören

Said to be the name of the most learned man in ancient Wales, in this country it would be open to mispronunciation, making it rhyme with Julien. 

Sulien

An ancient Roman family name, best known from the orator and author Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Tullius

One of the few ancient Roman names that doesn't end in us, the rarely heard Tarquin has a decidedly creative, even dramatic flair, which could appeal to the parent looking for a strikingly original name. Sir Laurence Olivier used it for his oldest child, who was named Simon Tarquin but called by his middle name.
 As Tarquinius, it was borne by two early kings of Rome.
 Tarquin has some literary cred as well, appearing in Shakespeare's poem The Rape of Lucrece (referring to a dark stain on the name), as Tarquin Blackwood in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series and as Tarquin Cleath-Stuart in the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella.