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Romani Names

SoDallas3
By SoDallas3
Updated Thu May 25 2023
Some of the Roma names in my family tree.
  1. Charlotte

    • Origin:

      French, feminine diminutive of Charles

    • Meaning:

      "free man"

    • Description:

      Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl names in many English-speaking and European countries.
  2. Elena

    • Origin:

      Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen

    • Meaning:

      "bright, shining light"

    • Description:

      Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
  3. Eliza

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      Eliza is a name with a wonderful combination of streamlined zest and Eliza Doolittle charm and spunk. It's a classic that's popular right now -- but not too popular.
  4. Sarah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "princess"

    • Description:

      Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah, meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name — she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was originally called Sarai, but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah when she was 90 years old.
  5. Riley

    • Origin:

      English, Irish

    • Meaning:

      "rye clearing; courageous"

    • Description:

      Riley -- one of the most popular unisex names -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000.
  6. Marcella

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "warlike"

    • Description:

      Marcella is a name of Latin origin, which has been neglected for decades now. Depicted as the world's most beautiful woman in Don Quixote (where it's spelled Marcela), it has plenty of flair and elegance to revive it again.
  7. Winifred

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "blessed peacemaking"

    • Description:

      One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.
  8. Esmeralda

    • Origin:

      Spanish and Portuguese

    • Meaning:

      "emerald"

    • Description:

      Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes, but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. The name Esmeralda got increased visibility via the Disney version of the story.
  9. Sylvester

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "wood, forest"

    • Description:

      This name of three early popes has been associated in recent years with a cocky cartoon cat ("Thufferin' thuccatash!") and the Italian Stallion hero of the Rocky and Rambo movies (who was born Michael) — and yet we think it just might be ready to move further back into the mainstream.
  10. Dinah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God will judge"

    • Description:

      Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with the Biblical Adinah, they are in fact different figures.
  11. Selina

    • Origin:

      Variation of Selena or Celine, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "moon; heaven"

    • Description:

      The Selina spelling swims below the Top 1000, which it fell off more than 15 years ago. Still, more than 160 baby girls were named Selina in 2023, compared with over 1300 named Selena and more than 1000 called the fashion-friendly Celine.
  12. Bina

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Sabina and other -ina names, Yiddish or Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "bee or understanding"

    • Description:

      Sources say that Bina, which is close to the word for bee in Yiddish, was once used as a translation for the Hebrew Deborah, which means bee. On its own, it also means "understanding" in Hebrew. Simple and sweet in itself, it could also be short for (or a nod to) many names including Sabina, Robina, Columbina, and Jacobina.
  13. Peggy

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Margaret, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "pearl"

    • Description:

      Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men, with intriguing mid-century characters with names like Joan and Betty--and Peggy, causing a bit of a re-think. MM's proto-feminist Peggy Olson was followed by Amy Adams's strong Oscar-nominated Peggy Dodd character in The Master.
  14. Lucretia

    • Origin:

      Latin, female form of Lucretius

    • Meaning:

      "profit, wealth"

    • Description:

      A pretty and plausible Latin name that's gotten a bad rap through the years via a link to Lucrezia Borgia, who, though long considered a demon poisoner, was actually a patron of learning and the arts.
  15. Rhoda

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "rose"

    • Description:

      To those who remember, Rhoda is still reminiscent of the brassy Bronx 1970s sitcom Rhoda Morgenstern. But Rhoda has a much longer history--it is a name that can be found in the New Testament as a servant girl in the house of Mary, mother of John. Later, Rhoda appeared in the novel Vanity Fair and the Shaw play Man and Superman.
  16. Patience

    • Origin:

      Latin virtue name

    • Meaning:

      "ability to accept or tolerate inconveniences, and suffering without anxiety or anger"

    • Description:

      Patience is a passive virtue turned engaging name, fresher than Hope, Faith, or even Charity. Its resemblance to the trendy Payton may be one reason that it returned to the US charts back in the 90's and 2000s, having been absent for a century.
  17. Rosetta

    • Origin:

      Persian

    • Meaning:

      "splendid"

    • Description:

      Associated with the ancient Rosetta stone, this is also the pretty Italian pet form of Rosa.
  18. Rubina

    • Description:

      Rubina is a feminine name with multiple cultural connections. It derives from the Latin word 'rubinus,' meaning 'ruby,' referring to the precious red gemstone. The name has particular popularity in Italy, India, and Pakistan, where it carries slightly different cultural connotations while maintaining its connection to the gemstone. In Indian and Pakistani communities, it is sometimes considered a Muslim name meaning 'ruby-like' or 'precious stone.' Rubina has a romantic, jewel-like quality with its flowing syllables and connection to the vibrant red ruby. While never extremely common in English-speaking countries, the name has maintained steady, modest usage over decades, appreciated for its elegant sound and meaningful connection to a treasured gemstone.

  19. Sibella

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "seer, oracle"

    • Description:

      Sibella is derived from Sibyl or Sibylla, referring to female prophets or oracles in ancient Greek and Roman culture. The name carries an air of mysticism and ancient wisdom, while its melodic quality gives it an elegant, sophisticated sound.

  20. Urania

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "heavenly"

    • Description:

      The name of one of the Greek Muses would be really difficult to bear here on earth.