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Beyond Grace and Heather: Virtue and word names.
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Word name
Words are not always easy to translate into baby names , but the implications of being straight and swift lend this one great potential as a name. It also has the popular o -sound ending, which…
Brave
Charity
English word name
"charity"
Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are…
Chastity
Virtue name, English from Latin
"chastity, pure"
One of the original so-weird-it's-cruel celebrity baby names doesn't sound quite so impossible with the resurgence of virtue names. But be charitable and choose Charity instead.
Ernest
English from German
"serious, resolute"
Ernest is one of those sober, so-far-out-they're-beginning-to-be-reconsidered Great Uncle names. Ernest recently received a big style boost when Britain's Princess Eugenie chose it for her second…
Fortitude
Word name
"courage during adversity"
Fortitude is the kind of virtue name the Puritans favored that could feel rather heavy for a modern boy. Nevertheless, with options such as Sincere, Chosen, Messiah, and Valor on the rise, perhaps in…
Glory
Word name
Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in…
Holiday
English word name
"holy day"
A fun and confident choice, Holiday is a celebratory name, particularly associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year, and with rest, leisure, and vacations more generally. Fitting…
Honor
English word and virtue name
"honor"
Honor is a somewhat more straight-laced virtue name than Hope or Grace, placing a high standard on any girl carrying it, but it's a goal worth setting. By choosing Honor for her daughter, Jessica…
Just
Just is a masculine name with Latin roots, derived from the word "justus" meaning "fair" or "righteous." As a given name, it carries strong connotations of morality, integrity, and fairness. Popular…
Lilac
English, from Persian
"bluish or lilac"
Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…
Noble
Latin
"aristocratic"
With parents beginning to show an interest in virtue names for boys, this Puritan favorite just might be revived, for what could be more admirable than nobility in terms of having strength of…
Paladin
French
"of the palace"
This title of honor given to Charlemagne's twelve best knights would be prized as a name by most sword-loving little boys.
Pascal
French; English
"of the Passover; Easter"
The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…
Patience
Latin virtue name
"ability to accept or tolerate inconveniences, and suffering without anxiety or anger"
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…
Peace
Word name
"peace"
Peace may be an admirable sentiment to convey in a child's name, but the translated and thus more subtle versions, like Pax or Placido, might work better as first names.
Praise
Word name
Generally used in conjunction with another name to form a religious phrase -- for instance the daughter of rapper DMX is called Praise Mary Ella.
Prudence
Virtue name
"caution"
Prudence, like Hope and Faith, is a Puritan virtue name with a quiet charm and sensitivity that is slowly returning to favor, though it hasn't yet registered on the charts. The White Album Beatles…
Rock
Word name or diminutive of Rocco
"rock or rest"
Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.
Sincerity
Word name
"sincerity, truth"
A Puritan-virtue type name that could possibly work for a modern baby with its rhythmic four-syllable sound and admirable meaning.