User-created list
By oiseau · Updated May 2023
Across 3 pages
of 3
Greek
"lion of the new city"
Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.
Latin
"stern"
The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. Nero was born Lucius Domitius…
Scottish variation of Thomas
"twin"
This Scottish form of Thomas has a lot of charm, evoking images of men in plaid kilts playing the bagpipes. As for the 'ish' ending, it could either be seen as cozy and hamish, or a little…
Welsh, from Latin Maximus
"greatest"
Also spelled Macsen, this ancient name manages to sound modern and cool. An heroic namesake was Maxen Wledig, a fourth century Spanish-born general who led the Roman army out of Britain, and as…
Arabic, Spanish
"swooping eagle, meadow"
This striking name has a lot going for it: it's a self-confident Spanish surname, it identifies one of the most brilliant stars in the sky, and it has a musical reference to singer-songwriter Suzanne…
Irish
"little, fierce"
Lorcan is a name rich in Irish history as belonging to several kings, including the grandfather of the most famous high king of Ireland, Brian Boru. Lorcan O'Toole, known in English as Laurence…
German
"victorious peace"
Also spelled Sigfrid, this hefty German name has an appropriately majestic meaning: "victorious peace". Fittingly, a famous bearer was the English World War I poet and pacifist Siegfried Sassoon.…
"loving"
Could Philo be the next Milo? We love the o-ending and sweet meaning of this dynamic and distinctive Greek name, often used in literature, but never particularly popular. The ancient Philo (aka Philo…
English
"elf friend"
Sounds elven in every sense of the word.
English word name or Japanese
"air; love"
Aire is a poetic spelling of the word "air", once widely used in Middle English. Today, it's a brand new baby name, introduced to wider audiences when Kylie Jenner revealed it as the new name of her…
English, derived from Zulu, South African tribal name
Related to the powerful South African warrior people, sometimes chosen by African-Americans to celebrate their heritage. Zula is also a Norwegian diminutive of Zuzanna.
English word name
Refers, in literal terms, to a curved line -- as in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famed "arc of justice." Could also be used as a reference to Joan of Arc -- Arc being, there, derived from her father's…
Welsh
"foxglove"
This unusual (to non-Welsh speakers) is near the top of the charts in Wales, carried by the recent taste for native Welsh names. Those in Wales say it's already on the way down, but for outsiders…
"yellow hair"
A Latin clan name that may rise again along with other things Roman.
"purple flower"
Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the…
Shakespearean name, form of Leonnatos, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek
"lion's jaw"
Leonato is one of the main characters in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing , the noble governor of Messina on whose property most of the play takes place. His daughter Hero and his niece Beatrice…
"little wave"
Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.
