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Famous Directors & Other Names of Classic Cinema
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Mayer
German surname or Hebrew
"landlord, farmer; bringer of light"
More common -- when it was common -- with the Meyer spelling.
Lon
Diminutive of Alonzo
"noble, ready"
For older generations this still summons silent horror star Chaney; for others it's a pleasant if slight nickname name.
Fleischer
Bazin
Eastman
English
"grace protector"
Eastman is a solid, old-style Atlantic seaboard surname. But as a first name, we think Easton works better.
Irving
Scottish
"green river, sea friend"
It might be surprising to know that this name originated as a Scottish place and surname name, as in Washington Irving. It became a popular choice for first-generation Jewish-American boys, such as…
Winsor
Winsor is a masculine name of English origin, derived from a place name meaning 'riverbank with a windlass' (a device used for hoisting or hauling). Most famously associated with Windsor Castle and…
Fritz
German, diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick
"peaceful ruler"
Since female cousins Mitzi and Fritzi have entered the realm of possibilities, there's a chance that Cousin Fritz could as well. Fritz is the name of several notables, from early German-born film…
Cedric
Celtic
"bounty; loved"
Soft yet solid, Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for the noble character of the hero's father in Ivanhoe , presumed to be an altered form of the Saxon name Cerdic ("bounty"), or the Brythonic…
Cagney
Irish
"tribute"
Cagney is one of the spunkiest Irish surnames around, and could make a lively and fresher successor to the tired Casey. James Cagney will be remembered not only for his iconic gangster films, but…
Bogart
Dutch surname
"orchard"
What it really means: you're a "Casablanca" fan.
Sidney
English from French
"Saint Denis"
A contraction name, Sidney comes from Saint Denis and is related to Dioynsius, the Greek god of fertility and wine, although another theory is that it derived from an Anglo-Saxon place name, meaning…
Davis
Bette
Diminutive of Elizabeth
Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.
Lumiere
Auguste
French form of Latin Augustus
"great, magnificent"
French version of August, for both sexes. And for those who feel the spelling of August is too plain.
Gable
French
"triangular feature in architecture"
The iconic Gone With the Wind star Clark's surname was brought into the first-name mix when Weeds ' Kevin Nealon picked it for his son. Gable makes a strong and unusual possibility, a rhyming cousin…
Kurosawa
Vittorio
Italian variation of Victor
"conqueror"
Was there ever a name that rolled more appealingly off the tongue? Vittorio calls to mind the glory days of Italian cinema, featuring names like Vittorio de Sica and Vittorio Gassman.
Willis
Diminutive of William, German
"resolute protection"
A common surname that was popular as a given name in the late 19th and early 20th century, Willis dropped off the US Top 1000 back in the early 90s, just as alternative William diminutive, Liam,…