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Quirky Cemetery Names

ErinRose
By ErinRose
Updated Thu May 25 2023
Interesting and unusual names found while wondering around old cemeteries throughout central Maine.
  1. Aurelia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the golden one"

    • Description:

      Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.
  2. Emerson

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "son of Emery"

    • Description:

      Emerson is a dignified, somewhat serious name associated with transcendental thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson. Much more popular now for girls since Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher used it for her daughter, it is definitely still a viable boys name.
  3. Lenora

    • Origin:

      English, contracted form of Leonora

    • Meaning:

      "light"

    • Description:

      A lovely (and uncommon) longer form for Nora, one of the most fashionable international nickname names around. Lenora fell off the US charts in the 70s, but just re-entered in 2022 as parents' love for short forms Leni and Nora is growing.
  4. Salome

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "peace"

    • Description:

      A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex-ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta.
  5. Elden

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "Ella's hill; old friend"

    • Description:

      A name with old-fashioned charm, akin to Elton, Elwin, and Elwood, Elden is a variation of two Old English names, Eldon or Alden. Meaning "Ella's hill" or "old friend", it combines strength and cosiness, but the connection to the fantasy roleplay game, Elden Ring adds an element of adventure and mystique.
  6. Ripley

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "strip of clearing in the woods"

    • Description:

      The "Believe It or Not" jokes will get old fast, but this surname feels fun and on-trend for both girls and boys, reminiscent of Riley, Tripp, Bridger, and Oakley.
  7. Sophronia

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "sensible, prudent"

    • Description:

      A name some people first encountered in the old children's book series The Five Little Peppers, in which Sophronia, the youngest of the Peppers is nicknamed Phronsie.`It was also used by Dickens in two of his novels: The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend.
  8. Connell

    • Description:

      Connell is an Irish masculine name derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Conaill, meaning "descendant of Conall." The original name Conall combines the elements "con" (wolf or hound) and "all" (mighty), translating to "strong wolf" or "strong as a wolf." Connell carries a sense of strength and resilience with its powerful animal association. The name gained moderate popularity in Ireland and Scottish Highlands historically but remained relatively uncommon globally. In recent decades, it has seen some increased usage in English-speaking countries, appealing to parents seeking a distinctive name with Celtic roots and masculine qualities. Its connection to Irish heritage makes it particularly appealing to those with Irish ancestry.

  9. Thirza

    • Origin:

      Hebrew; diminutive of Theresa, English

    • Meaning:

      "delightful; harvest"

    • Description:

      This rarely used Old Testament name will inevitably set off a connection to thirst. Thirza was historically used as both an independent name and as a nickname for Theresa.
  10. Letitia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "joy, gladness"

    • Description:

      Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make an attractive, delicate choice. After a solid century on the Top 1000 list, Letitia fell off in the early 1980s and has not yet returned.
  11. Mills

    • Description:

      Feels akin to Brooks and Rivers, two other boys' names that double as plural nouns. It's been used as a first name for centuries, including by a two time governor of Virginia.
  12. Leota

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "of the people"

    • Description:

      Leota is an antique name rarely used any more -- it was given to just 8 baby girls in the US in 2021. Some sources says Leota is a Native American name meaning blue flower.
  13. Temple

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the temple"

    • Description:

      Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin.
  14. Park

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Description:

      A grassy place with trees is a nice image to attach to a name.
  15. Carmelita

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Carmel, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "garden"

    • Description:

      Carmelita is an obscure short form of an obscure name that may rise to new prominence during the 2012 Olympics, via runner Carmelita Jeter aka "The World's Fastest Woman." Carmelita has a particularly international flavor with the original Carmel a Hebrew name long popular in Ireland, with Carmelita itself most popular in Latin countries.
  16. Annis

    • Origin:

      Variation of Agnes

    • Meaning:

      "pure, virginal"

    • Description:

      Annis and Anice are both antique variations of Agnes that have fallen out of use, perhaps because of pronunciation problems (ANN-is, or an-EES?)
  17. Albion

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "white, bright"

    • Description:

      Albion is an ancient, poetic, and literary name for Great Britain. As a name, Albion is a variation of Albus -- and Dumbledore fans might find it a congenial update. Attractive short forms include Al and Albie.
  18. Wellington

    • Origin:

      English surname from place name

    • Meaning:

      "people living in the hamlet in the cleared area near the temple"

    • Description:

      Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.
  19. Melvina

    • Origin:

      Celtic

    • Meaning:

      "chieftain"

    • Description:

      Melvina ranked in the Top 1000 for over 65 years in the US, coinciding to a large extent with the years its much more popular masculine counterpart Melvin ranked in the Top 100. Today, Melvin is still hanging on in the Top 1000 for boys, but Melvina hasn't been given to more than 20 babies in a year since 1991.
  20. Lucina

    • Origin:

      Roman

    • Meaning:

      "grove or light"

    • Description:

      Lucina, deriving from Latin lucus "grove" and also associated with lux "light", is an epithet given in Roman mythology to the goddess Juno (and sometimes also Diana) in her role as goddess of childbirth. A stately and unusual route to Lucy, more delicate than Lucinda.