Names that mean survivor put endurance straight into the meaning, and the 100 gathered here reach from Irish and Norse roots to Hebrew, Swahili, Hawaiian, and Sanskrit. Every entry lists gender, origin, meaning, pronunciation, and where the name currently stands in U.S. Social Security Administration birth records (1).
Some are everywhere. Liam, which reads as resolute protection, was the number one boy name in the country in 2025 with 20,818 babies given it, per SSA records, and Atlas reached #75 that year, the highest it has ever ranked. Others are nearly invisible: Sigourney went to five girls in 2025, roughly one in every 333,000 births.
The Finnish entry, Sisu, names the quality outright. The Finnish researcher Emilia Lahti says sisu is “a quality that Finns hold dear but the phenomenon itself is universal,” a conclusion she reached after analyzing more than 1,000 responses about what the word means to people (2). Every name below is one version of that idea.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Liam, Ethan, Aria, Alexander and Gabriel.
100 Beautiful Names Meaning Survivor
These adorable names that mean survivor are as tough as nails.
Aiden
Aiden traces back to Aodh, the mythical god of sun and fire, which is where the meaning little fire comes from. Alternate readings include little and fiery, a good match for a kid who runs at life headfirst. Rod Stewart put the spelling in headlines when he named his son Aiden Patrick in 2011, and on paper the name reads unisex, though American parents give it to boys far more often.
- Origin: Irish, Gaelic
- Meaning: Little fire
- Pronunciation: AY-dehn
- Variations: Aidan, Aden
- Namesakes: Aiden Turner, an English actor known for his role in Hunting Souls.
- Popularity: Aiden sat at #62 in the U.S. in 2025, down from its 2010 high of #9.
Ajita
Ajita is an alternate name for the Maitreya Buddha, so it lands differently than most strength names. Followers honor Ajita as a teacher many believe is still to come, which gives the name a forward-looking feel. The sound is soft and feminine to English ears. Yet the name is treated as unisex because the Buddhas present as male. The philosopher Ajita Kesakambali is its best known bearer.
- Origin: India
- Meaning: Inconquerable, invincible
- Pronunciation: ah-JEE-tah, ah-JYE-tah
- Popularity: U.S. birth records list Ajita only once, in 1983, when six babies received it.
Alexa
Alexa is the feminine form of Alex, itself short for Alexander, and it has appeared in U.S. records since 1916. The meaning, defender of men, has kept it on lists for parents who want a name with some steel in it. Most people now hear the Amazon assistant first, which took its name from the Library of Alexandria. Alexa Chung, the British writer and fashion designer, gives the name a stylish bearer to point at.
- Origin: Greek, English
- Meaning: Defender of men
- Pronunciation: uh-LEHK-sah
- Namesakes: Alexa PenaVega, an American actress known for her role in Spy Kids.
- Popularity: Alexa ranked #1,029 in 2025 with 243 girls named, a long fall from its 2015 peak at #32.
Alexander
Alexander is the heavyweight of this list, carried by soldiers, saints, and kings for centuries. Alexander the Great is the bearer everyone reaches for, remembered for an empire built on refusing to stop. The name has appeared in U.S. records every year since 1880, which is about as steady as a name gets. Xander, Alex, and Xan all work as short forms if the full four syllables feel like a lot on a birth announcement.
- Origin: Greek, English
- Meaning: Defending men
- Pronunciation: AL-ehks-AND-er
- Variations: Aleksander
- Namesakes: Alexander Graham Bell, the Scottish inventor of the telephone.
- Popularity: Alexander stayed near the top in 2025 at #30, with 7,230 boys given the name.
Alvaro
Alvaro suggests an elf army, which makes it a quiet favorite among parents who love fantasy. Alternate readings include guardian, so the fierce edge comes with a protective one. Its best U.S. showing came in 1985. Alvie works as a short form for a small boy who has not grown into the full name yet.
- Origin: German, Norse, Spanish
- Meaning: Elf warrior
- Pronunciation: al-VAR-oh
- Namesakes: Alvaro Uribe Velez, the former President of Colombia.
- Popularity: Alvaro held #777 in the U.S. in 2025 and has been recorded here since 1914.
Andrea
Andrea is the feminine form of Andrew, though plenty of countries treat it as a name for either sex. In the U.S. it has been given to girls since 1881 and started appearing for boys in the middle of the last century. Writers keep reaching for it, with Andreas turning up in Breaking Bad and Dawson’s Creek. Andy and Andie both work as nonbinary short forms.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Strong, bravery
- Pronunciation: AN-dree-uh, AHN-dray-uh, AHN-dree-uh
- Namesakes: Andrea Baker, an American actress known for her role in Paparazzi.
- Popularity: Andrea ranked #235 in 2025, down from its 1978 peak at #23.
Angus
Angus is the streamlined form of Aonghus, the Irish god of youth and romance. Stories also tie it to Angus Og, remembered for songs that could charm anyone who heard them. The name has never been common on this side of the Atlantic, which is exactly what gives it that worn-in vintage sound, and if you want a survivor name nobody in the class will share, this one is waiting.
- Origin: Scottish, Gaelic
- Meaning: One force
- Pronunciation: AN-gus
- Namesakes: Angus Wilson, an English novelist known for his short stories.
- Popularity: Angus is scarce in the U.S., ranking #2,363 in 2025 with 58 boys named; its best year was 1914 at #659.
Ansel
Ansel is a variation of Anselm, which also carries the sense of follower of a nobleman, and it has been in use since the Medieval period, turning up in American records as far back as 1882. Ansel Briggs, the first Governor of Iowa, put it on the map here. It suits parents who want protection and faith in the meaning without a name that sounds solemn.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: With divine protection
- Pronunciation: AN-suhl
- Namesakes: Ansel Elgort, an American actor known for his role in The Fault in Our Stars.
- Popularity: Ansel ranked #1,138 in the U.S. in 2025, with 186 boys given the name; its best rank came earlier, in 1913.
Archibald
Archibald is for parents who want something genuinely unusual with real history behind it. European nobility wore it for generations, including Archibald Primrose, a former British Prime Minister. It works as a first name and as a surname, which is part of the old-money sound, and Archie handles daily life while the full version waits for diplomas and wedding invitations.
- Origin: Scottish, German
- Meaning: Truly brave
- Pronunciation: AR-chee-bald
- Variations: Archibalde
- Namesakes: Archibald MacLeish, an American poet.
- Popularity: Archibald came in at #1,145 in 2025, with 184 births that year; its best rank was #714, back in 1917.
Archie
Archie started as a short form of Archibald and broke away as a name in its own right in the early 1900s. It got a fresh wave of attention in 2019 when the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, chose it for her son. Alternate readings include genuine, which fits a down-to-earth kid. The double sound at the end keeps it friendly. It ages well too, since the long form is always there if he wants it.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Truly brave
- Pronunciation: AR-chee
- Namesakes: Archie Goodwin, an American comic book illustrator.
- Popularity: Archie climbed to #301 in 2025 with 1,129 boys named, its strongest showing in decades.
Aria
Aria means lion. The extended reading, lion of God, is the one parents usually fall for. American families read it as a girl name, while India and Persia treat it as male. Anyone with music training hears the solo first, the showpiece written to be sung alone. Pretty Little Liars and Grey’s Anatomy both put Arias on screen, which did the name no harm at all.
- Origin: Italian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: AR-ee-ah, AIR-ee-ah
- Namesakes: Aria Wallace, an American actress and singer.
- Popularity: Aria ranked #26 in 2025 with 6,130 girls named, close to its 2018 best of #19.
Armani
Armani will always carry a whiff of the runway thanks to Giorgio Armani, and underneath the fashion association sits a soldier meaning, plus alternate readings of warrior and child of Armano. It works for a girl or a boy without feeling like a compromise. Mani makes an easy short form.
- Origin: German, Italian, Persian
- Meaning: Soldier
- Pronunciation: ar-MAH-nee
- Popularity: Armani ranked #495 in 2025 and reached its best position, #359, in 2020.
Atlas
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the Titan sentenced to hold up the sky, which is where the endurance reading comes from. He also turns up in the myth of Heracles as the founder of astronomy. The other Atlas, the book of maps, gives the name a wandering streak for a family that travels, and millennial parents have taken to it fast, with the numbers to prove it.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Endure
- Pronunciation: AT-luhs
- Popularity: Atlas reached #75 in 2025, the highest rank it has ever held, with 4,413 boys named.
Audrey
Audrey means noble strength, and its most famous bearer, Audrey Hepburn, earned both halves of that, remembered for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The name was used for boys and girls until 1939, when it settled firmly on the girls’ side. It has stayed near the top for a decade now without ever tipping into overuse.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Noble strength
- Pronunciation: AH-dree
- Variations: Audree
- Namesakes: Audrey Assad, an American Christian singer and songwriter.
- Popularity: Audrey held #86 in 2025 with 2,919 girls named, a little below its 2013 peak at #33.
Aziel
Parents after survivor names with biblical flair tend to stop here. Aziel appears in the Old Testament among the tribe of Levi, the family known for its musicians. The meaning runs to God is my power, sometimes given as God is my strength, and Azzie softens it for the toddler years.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my power
- Pronunciation: AH-zee-el
- Popularity: Aziel is the fastest riser on this list: its births over the last ten years are up 2,057 percent on the ten years before, and it reached #186 in 2025, its best rank yet.
Barrett
Barrett belongs to the group of surnames that turned into excellent first names. The meaning, mighty as a bear, does a lot of work for parents who want strength without a warrior cliche. Final Fantasy and American Gothic both used it for characters. Bear and Barry are waiting as short forms. One is modern, the other distinctly old school.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Mighty as a bear
- Pronunciation: BAIR-eht
- Namesakes: Barrett Brown, an American journalist and activist.
- Popularity: Barrett hit #171 in 2025, its best rank on record, with 2,138 boys named.
Brazil
Brazil sends most people straight to the country, its beaches, and its noise, though the Irish thread is the surprising one, where the root carries a sense of strife or war. Because it is used so seldom, a child named Brazil is unlikely to meet another. It suits a kid you already suspect will hold their ground with anyone.
- Origin: Portuguese, Irish
- Meaning: Strong in conflict
- Pronunciation: BRAH-zill, BRAY-zill
- Popularity: Brazil is rare in U.S. records, ranking #4,677 in 2025 with 29 babies named.
Bree
Bree began as a short form of Briana or Bridgette and now stands on its own, carrying strength and exalted one packed into one syllable. The Wild Thornberrys and Desperate Housewives both used it. If you like names that end on that bright double vowel, Bree is the shortest way in.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Strength, exalted one
- Pronunciation: BREE
- Variations: Bri
- Namesakes: Bree Turner, an American actress known for her role in Just My Luck.
- Popularity: Bree ranked #2,826 in 2025 with 60 girls named, well below its 1977 peak at #616.
Briana
Briana is the feminine form of Brian and a neat way to name a daughter after her dad. Its first recorded use comes from Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, published in 1590, where Briana appears as a character who has hair woven into a gift for the man she loves. The meaning is simply strong, no qualifiers attached, and Ana and Bree both work day to day.
- Origin: Irish, Celtic
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: bree-AHN-uh, bree-AN-uh
- Variations: Breanna, Brianna
- Namesakes: Briana Shepherd, an American journalist and ballerina.
- Popularity: Briana ranked #661 in 2025, down from its 1994 peak at #68.
Bridget
Bridget is a variation of Brigid, the Celtic goddess tied to wisdom, poetry, and animals, a mix that suits a creative kid with a menagerie of stuffed animals and strong opinions about all of them. Bridget of Sweden, the patron saint of Sweden and of Europe, gives the name a second layer of history. Keep the plain spelling or reach for Bridgette if you want more flourish.
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: Strength, honor
- Pronunciation: BRIHD-jet
- Variations: Bridgette
- Namesakes: Bridget Fonda, an American actress known for her role in The Godfather movies.
- Popularity: Bridget ranked #724 in 2025, down from its 1973 high of #112.
Carla
Carla is the feminine form of Carl and Carlos, which carry the sense of free man. It hit its stride in the 1960s, when short and unfussy names for girls were the whole fashion, though American use has thinned since then, even if the name never disappeared. Carly is the obvious short form if you want something a shade softer.
- Origin: German, Roman
- Meaning: Warrior
- Pronunciation: KAR-lah
- Variations: Karla
- Namesakes: Carla Gugino, an American actress known for her role in Spy Kids.
- Popularity: Carla ranked #1,083 in 2025 with 223 girls named, far from its 1965 peak at #76.
Casey
Casey means brave in battle and travels well, picking up different readings as it goes. British usage treats it as a short form of Cassandra. The French reading runs closer to pure of heart. It peaked in the 1980s, when masculine-sounding names for girls were everywhere. Casey stays genuinely unisex today, with a slight lean toward boys.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Brave in battle
- Pronunciation: KAY-see
- Variations: Kaycee, Kasey
- Namesakes: Casey Affleck, an American actor known for his role in Good Will Hunting.
- Popularity: Casey ranked #320 in 2025 and did best in 1987, at #80.
Colletta
Colletta is a lighter take on Collette and a short form of Nicoletta, and it also runs as a surname out of Tuscany, so Italian families sometimes come to it from that direction. The extended reading, people of victory, makes it a graceful pick for a family that prizes sticking things out. Letty and Cole pull it in two very different directions, both of them charming.
- Origin: Spanish, Italian
- Meaning: Victorious
- Pronunciation: koh-LEH-tah
- Popularity: Colletta has not appeared in U.S. records since 1978; its best rank came in 1932, at #2,050.
Dante
Poetry readers will always hear Dante Alighieri, who wrote his way through hell and out the other side in The Divine Comedy. Alternate readings include steadfast, which suits a kid who does not rattle. It also works as a short form of Durante, an Italian surname, and Disney’s Coco and The Flash both put the name in front of a new generation.
- Origin: Italian, Latin
- Meaning: Enduring
- Pronunciation: DAHN-tay
- Namesakes: Dante Rosario, an American football player.
- Popularity: Dante ranked #308 in 2025 with 1,104 boys named, close to its 1997 best of #200.
Dealla
Irish mythology names Dealla among the earliest arrivals to Ireland, traveling with Cessair, though beyond that appearance, almost nothing about her survives, which leaves the name feeling like a half-heard story. Parents who want a legendary name that has not been used up will find plenty of room here. Dee makes an easy nickname for a small protector.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Protector
- Pronunciation: DEE-lah
- Popularity: Dealla is too rare for U.S. birth records to publish a ranking.
Diamond
Diamond belongs to the gemstone names, though Ruby gets picked far more often. The root is adamas, which carries the sense of invincible or unconquerable. That is the whole reason it sits on this list. Warriors once wore diamonds hoping the stone would carry them through a fight. It is April’s birthstone, so a spring baby gets an extra reason to claim it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Brilliant, invincible
- Pronunciation: DYE-mund
- Namesakes: Diamond White, an American singer, and actress.
- Popularity: Diamond ranked #2,024 in 2025 with 94 babies named, a steep drop from its 1999 peak at #150.
Duncan
Duncan once described a dark-haired or dark-skinned warrior, and the sound still carries that weight. Shakespeare readers will place it instantly, since King Duncan opens the trouble in Macbeth, and there is also a Duncan among the patron saints of ships and sailors, plus two Kings of Scotland. It is sturdy without being stiff, which is a hard balance for a boy name to strike.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Dark warrior
- Pronunciation: DUNK-in
- Namesakes: Duncan Sheik, an American singer and songwriter.
- Popularity: Duncan ranked #1,124 in 2025 with 190 boys named; its best year was 1997, at #378.
Dustin
Dustin is a variant of Torsten, which also reads as Thor’s stone. That stone refers to a place of Viking worship, so the name arrives with a faint spiritual tilt alongside the warrior meaning. Stranger Things handed it to a new generation of parents who grew up on the show. Dusty is the short form. It suits a kid who is always slightly grubby by dinner.
- Origin: Norse, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Brave warrior
- Pronunciation: DUHS-tin
- Namesakes: Dustin Lynch, an American country music singer.
- Popularity: Dustin ranked #729 in 2025, a long way from its 1984 peak at #41.
Edme
Edme is a shortened form of Edmond that many families use on its own, and it is also the masculine counterpart to Esme, a name the Twilight series made familiar. The French sound gives it a polish that most protection names do not have. Eddie is there if you want an everyday version.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Prosperous protection
- Pronunciation: EHD-me, EHD-may
- Namesakes: Edme Bouchardon, a French sculptor.
- Popularity: Edme is too rare for U.S. birth records to publish a ranking.
Elda
Elda suits an old soul, since the meaning stretches to old protector as well as wise warrior. Elda Anderson, an American physicist, is the bearer worth telling a daughter about. American use faded after the 1940s, but the current appetite for El names gives it a real shot at a comeback, and anime fans may also know it from Kiba.
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Meaning: Wise warrior
- Pronunciation: EL-duh
- Popularity: Elda ranked #5,972 in 2025 with 20 girls named; its best showing came in 1915, at #389.
Emeric
Emeric is a variant of Emmerich, a German name carrying the sense of home ruler, and it has stayed better known in Europe than in the States, which keeps it feeling like a find rather than a trend. Harry Potter readers will have run across it. A real Emeric ruled Hungary, so the royal association is not invented.
- Origin: French, German
- Meaning: Powerful, resilient
- Pronunciation: EM-rihk, EM-er-REEK
- Variations: Emerick
- Popularity: Emeric reached #1,574 in 2025 with 108 boys named, its highest yearly count in U.S. records.
Ethan
Ethan appears in the Bible as a member of King David’s court and the author of a psalm, and though he is mentioned only briefly, what survives about him is his wisdom, which is a decent thing for a name to carry. His story sits in 1 Chronicles and 1 Kings. The meaning, strong, has kept Ethan near the top of American charts for a quarter century.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Strong, enduring
- Pronunciation: EE-thun
- Namesakes: Ethan Boyes, an American cyclist.
- Popularity: Ethan ranked #24 in 2025 with 7,852 boys named, down from its 2009 peak at #2.
Evardo
Readers of the Wizard of Oz books will recognize Evardo as the eldest son of King Evoldo, a minor figure described as a quiet boy who grew into a respected ruler, which is a nice thing to hand a child. Evardo also runs as a Spanish surname in America and the Philippines. At three syllables split evenly, it reads confidently on a page without asking to be shortened.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Hardy, brave
- Pronunciation: ee-VAR-doh
- Variations: Everardo
- Popularity: Evardo is too rare for U.S. birth records to publish a ranking.
Everett
Everett started as a nickname for someone with the strength of a wild boar. Boars have a mixed reputation, but the traits people assign them, generosity and refusal to back down, are the ones the name kept. It doubles as a polished surname, worn by the actor Rupert Everett. Rhett is the short form parents keep discovering. It may be half the reason the name is climbing.
- Origin: German, English
- Meaning: Brave as a wild boar
- Pronunciation: EV-er-it, EV-reht
- Variations: Everet
- Namesakes: Everett Sloane, an American actor known for his role in The Men.
- Popularity: Everett reached #77 in 2025 with 4,287 boys named, its best rank in U.S. records.
Freya
In Norse mythology, Freya presided over beauty, war, and death, a combination no modern name manages, and she slipped away from death again and again, often with Freyr’s help, which is what earns her a spot among survivor names. The meaning is the gentler noble lady. It is a good fit for a girl whose arrival was not easy.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Noble lady
- Pronunciation: FRAY-ah
- Namesakes: Freya Klier, a German author and film director.
- Popularity: Freya ranked #176 in 2025 with 1,746 girls named, just off its 2022 peak at #129.
Gabriel
Gabriel is the archangel sent to carry news mortals were not ready for, appearing to Daniel, to Elizabeth, and to the mother of Christ, and he turns up in the Quran as well, which makes the name a rare point of overlap between traditions. Alternate readings include hero of God, and the standard one, God is my strength, is why it belongs here. Gabe carries the weight on a playground.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my strength
- Pronunciation: GAY-bree-el
- Namesakes: Gabriel (Gabe) Kaplan, an American comedian and poker player.
- Popularity: Gabriel ranked #37 in 2025 with 6,569 boys named, near its 2010 peak at #21.
Gabriella
Gabriella is the feminine form of Gabriel and shares his meaning outright. Italian, Spanish, and Hebrew families all claim it, which is unusual for a name this ornate. It has held a place near the American top 100 for the better part of two decades. Gabby and Ella split it neatly. One brings bounce, the other poise.
- Origin: Italian, Spanish, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my strength
- Pronunciation: GAH-bree-EL-ah
- Variations: Gabriela
- Namesakes: Gabriella Pizzolo, an American Broadway actress and singer.
- Popularity: Gabriella ranked #105 in 2025 with 2,545 girls named; its best year was 2009, at #33.
Gerardo
Gerardo is the Spanish and Italian take on Gerard, and it has been in American records since 1906. The meaning, spear strength, describes a boy who wins on precision rather than force. Gerardo de Leon, the Filipino director and actor, is the bearer worth looking up, and Jerry has served as the short form for generations.
- Origin: Italian, Spanish
- Meaning: Spear strength
- Pronunciation: jer-AR-doh, hay-RAR-doh
- Namesakes: Gerardo de León, a Filipino director and actor.
- Popularity: Gerardo ranked #678 in 2025 and reached #205 in 1996, its best U.S. rank.
Godric
Godric belonged to honorable men in the 11th century, including Godric of Mappestone. Harry Potter readers know the other one, the founder of Gryffindor House, and True Blood used it too; American records first list the name in 2009. Ricky tames it for a boy who does not want to explain his name every September.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: God’s power
- Pronunciation: GAHD-rihk
- Variations: Godrik, Godrick
- Popularity: Godric is rare in the U.S., ranking #10,033 in 2025 with seven boys named; records first list it in 2009.
Griffin
The griffin is part lion, part eagle, and usually pictured guarding something worth guarding. Harry Potter put one to work carrying humans, which is the version most kids meet first. Elon Musk chose the name for his son in 2004. Family Guy and Party of Five both used it. It reads familiar without being common.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Strong lord
- Pronunciation: GRIH-fin
- Namesakes: Griffin Steinfeld, an American NASCAR driver.
- Popularity: Griffin ranked #222 in 2025 with 1,627 boys named, close to its 2023 best of #214.
Harold
Harold once described soldiers who came home when nobody expected them to. Harold I of England is the loudest namesake, though Harold Pinter did more for the sound of it. Marvel and Dr. Who have both put Harolds on screen. It reads as steady and unfussy, the kind of name that never asks to be explained at roll call.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Army ruler
- Pronunciation: HAIR-uhld
- Namesakes: Harold Pinter, an English playwright.
- Popularity: Harold ranked #993 in 2025 with 230 boys named, a long way from its 1915 peak at #12.
Hilda
Hilda began as a short form of Brunehilda, the Valkyrie who escorted fallen soldiers to Valhalla. The meaning, battle woman, comes straight from that. There is also Hilda of Whitby, remembered as a patron of poetry and learning, and the poet Hilda Doolittle who signed her work H.D. American use dropped off in the 1980s. A girl called Hilda tends to grow into the spine the name implies.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Battle woman
- Pronunciation: HIL-duh
- Namesakes: Hilda Doolittle (H.D.), an American poet.
- Popularity: Hilda ranked #3,007 in 2025 with 55 girls named; its best year was 1914, at #103.
Hope
Hope is one of the virtue names, and the Puritans get credit for the fashion, often pairing it with Faith for twin sisters; the meaning is plain, which is the point. Survival tends to start with believing you can, so the name does more work than its four letters suggest. Hope Edelman, an American author, is a fitting bearer.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Expectation
- Pronunciation: HOHP
- Namesakes: Hope Edelman, an American author.
- Popularity: Hope ranked #352 in 2025 with 868 girls named, below its 1999 peak at #143.
Howard
Howard comes from Havard, which reads as high guardian, and it also runs as an English surname for a high chief. The sportscaster Howard Cosell made the name sound like an argument you could not win, while Howard Goodall, the English composer, is the quieter namesake. Howie keeps it warm.
- Origin: German, English
- Meaning: Braveheart
- Pronunciation: HOW-erd
- Namesakes: Howard Cosell, an American sports journalist.
- Popularity: Howard ranked #1,004 in 2025 with 226 boys named, down from its 1919 high of #24.
Jaya
Jaya means victory, which is about as direct as a survivor name gets. Hinduism casts Jaya as a gatekeeper of heaven, paired with a twin, Vijaya. American families use it mostly for girls. It reads unisex elsewhere. Jay works for any child who wants one syllable and no fuss.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Victory
- Pronunciation: JAY-uh
- Variations: Jaia
- Namesakes: Jaya Bachchan, an Indian actress and politician.
- Popularity: Jaya ranked #2,204 in 2025 with 84 babies named; its best U.S. rank was #1,300, in 2003.
Jeeta
Jeeta is a puzzle in the best way, since little is recorded about it beyond the meaning and the origin. Alternate readings include the winner, which suits a child who finishes what they start. The doubled vowel gives it a youthful sound that ages more gracefully than you would expect.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Unconquerable
- Pronunciation: JEE-tah
- Popularity: U.S. birth records do not carry enough Jeetas to assign a ranking.
Juno
Juno was the Roman goddess who protected women, particularly through childbirth, when survival was anything but assured, and the month of June carries her name, so a summer baby has a built-in reason to claim it. Juno Temple, of Ted Lasso, keeps it in circulation. It is technically unisex and used mostly for girls.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Queen of the heavens
- Pronunciation: JOO-noh
- Namesakes: Juno Temple, an American actress known for her role in Ted Lasso.
- Popularity: Juno reached #1,252 in 2025 with 179 babies named, its best rank in U.S. records.
Kaida
Kaida shows how much a name can shift depending on the characters used to write it. In kanji, the meaning follows the symbols, so the same sound can land on armor, world, or domain. The reading parents usually want is little dragon, with everything dragons stand for in the way of protection and nerve.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Little dragon
- Pronunciation: KYE-dah
- Popularity: Kaida ranked #3,359 in 2025 with 46 girls named, close to its 2024 best of #2,542.
Kane
Kane comes from Cathan, a sixth-century Irish saint, and picks up new meanings in every language it visits, warrior, golden, highest god, and it gives parents who like the sound of Cain a way to use it without the biblical baggage. Gamers may know it from Spyro the Dragon. One syllable, no ambiguity, easy to shout across a yard.
- Origin: Celtic, Japanese, Hawaiian
- Meaning: Little warrior
- Pronunciation: KAYN, kah-NAY
- Variations: Caine, Cain, Kaine
- Namesakes: Kane Hodder, an American actor known for his role in Hatchet.
- Popularity: Kane ranked #451 in 2025 with 695 boys named; it did best in 2018, at #319.
Kelly
Kelly is one of Ireland’s great unisex names, though American use for boys thinned out after 2002. Alternate readings include bright-headed, which parents of redheads tend to enjoy. As a surname it points to a family with a taste for a fight. The plain spelling stays neutral. Kellie and Kellee lean feminine.
- Origin: Irish, Scottish, Gaelic
- Meaning: War, lively
- Pronunciation: KELL-ee
- Variations: Kellee, Kellie
- Namesakes: Kelly Ripa, an American television host and actress.
- Popularity: Kelly ranked #852 in 2025 with 319 babies named, far below its 1977 peak at #10.
Kendria
Kendria is an elaborated form of Kendra that also reads as keen ruler, and it doubles as a feminine take on Kendrick, so it can honor a father, a grandfather, or a brother. The name suits a girl who wins arguments on preparation rather than volume. Ria makes a soft short form.
- Origin: Welsh, English
- Meaning: Greatest champion
- Pronunciation: ken-DREE-uh
- Popularity: Kendria last appeared in U.S. records in 2023, with five girls named; its best rank was #2,440, in 1984.
Lewis
Lewis is the modern English form of Louis, and the meaning, renowned warrior, survived the crossing intact. Alternate readings include loud and famous, which fit a kid who enters every room talking. Lewis Carroll gave it a permanent place in children’s literature. Lewis Yancey flew it into aviation history. Lou and Louie are the short forms, both a little old-fashioned in the best way.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Pronunciation: LOO-iss
- Namesakes: Lewis Carroll, an English author and poet.
- Popularity: Lewis ranked #433 in 2025 with 736 boys named, up sharply over the past decade though still short of its 1915 peak at #70.
Liam
Liam is the runaway winner among names that mean resilience. It has held the top American spot since 2017. It began as a short form of William and Uilliam, which carry the sense of helmet of protection. Liam Neeson, still the bearer most people picture, has spent a career playing men who refuse to stay down. Two syllables, no spelling debates, and it works from the nursery to a business card.
- Origin: Irish, German
- Meaning: Resolute protection
- Pronunciation: LEE-uhm
- Namesakes: Liam Neeson, an Irish actor known for his role in Taken.
- Popularity: Liam was the #1 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 20,818 babies given the name.
Louisa
Louisa is the feminine form of Louis and Ludwig, carrying the same famous warrior sense, and an alternate reading is loud, which suits a girl who says the thing everyone else is thinking. Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women. Louisa Swain, the first woman to cast a vote in the U.S., is the other bearer worth naming.
- Origin: Latin, German
- Meaning: Famous female warrior
- Pronunciation: loo-WEE-sah
- Namesakes: Louisa Swain, the first woman to vote in the U.S.
- Popularity: Louisa ranked #697 in 2025 with 407 girls named, and its best rank came back in 1913, at #382.
Magna
History readers will hear the Magna Carta, the document that put limits on English kings. Alternate readings include great and the big one, which is a lot of name for a small person. Maggie waits as the everyday version. It suits a girl whose personality already outsizes the room.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: MAG-nuh
- Popularity: Magna has not shown up in U.S. birth records in numbers large enough to rank.
Malin
Malin began as a short form of Magdalene, meaning woman from Magdala, though the reading that brings it here is little strong warrior. Despite the feminine root, most countries treat it as unisex. Malin Akerman brought it to American screens, and Malin Berggren sang it onto the radio with Ace of Base. Linn works if you use it for a girl.
- Origin: English, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Little strong warrior
- Pronunciation: MAL-ihn
- Namesakes: Malin Akerman, a Swedish-American actress known for her role in Couples Retreat.
- Popularity: Malin ranked #7,020 in 2025 with 16 babies named; its best U.S. showing was 2012, at #2,700.
Malou
Malou is a compression of Mary Louise, which brings along bitter and star of the sea alongside the warrior reading. The sound has done well in France and Denmark, where Malou Ejdesgaard plays tennis. In Hawaiian, Malou points to a peaceful child. It is a good pick for a girl who resists being put in one category.
- Origin: French, Hawaiian, Filipino
- Meaning: Famous female warrior, rebelliousness
- Pronunciation: MAIL-oo, MAL-oo
- Namesakes: Malou Ejdesgaard, a Danish tennis player.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Malou in 2024, when seven girls received it.
Marcella
Marcella is the feminine form of Marcellus, and its alternate reading, dedicated to Mars, ties it straight to the god of war. Don Quixote features a Marcela, which gives the name a literary streak most warlike names lack. Marcella Boveri, the American biologist, is the bearer to point a science-minded girl toward. Marcie and Ella soften it, though the full version is the one worth saying out loud.
- Origin: Latin, Roman
- Meaning: Warlike, young warrior
- Pronunciation: MAR-sell-ah
- Namesakes: Marcella Boveri, an American biologist.
- Popularity: Marcella ranked #948 in 2025 with 272 girls named, well off its 1922 peak at #155.
Matilda
Matilda means battle-mighty, and Roald Dahl gave the name a heroine who fought her battles with library books. Gordon Ramsay and other famous parents helped return it to circulation. It was a regular near the American top 200 in the early 1900s before dropping out of sight for decades. Mattie and Tilda are the short forms, one homespun and one distinctly cool.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Battle-mighty
- Pronunciation: mah-TILL-dah
- Variations: Mathilde, Mathilda
- Namesakes: Matilda Mackarness, an English novelist.
- Popularity: Matilda is this list’s biggest comeback: births per million fell from 693 in 1915 to 14 in 1993 and are back up to 521 in 2025, when it ranked #365.
Megan
Megan is a Welsh form of Margaret, a title in the Victorian era and a fixture long before that. It also reads as pearl, a stone associated with wisdom and calm. June babies get an extra claim, since the pearl is that month’s birthstone. Meg and Maggie both still work, and the name is due for a second look now that a generation has moved on from it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Strong, great
- Pronunciation: MAY-gan, MEG-an, MEE-gan
- Variations: Meghan, Meagan
- Namesakes: Megan Fox, an American actress known for her role in Transformers.
- Popularity: Megan has fallen the furthest of any name here: births over the last ten years are down 78 percent on the ten before, leaving it at #889 in 2025 after a 1985 peak at #10.
Milo
Milo is a variant of Miles, a name once handed to Roman soldiers, and it sounds gentle despite that history. Gossip Girl used it, and so did Milo and Otis, which is how a lot of adults first met the name. It reads sweet on a baby and holds up fine on a grown man.
- Origin: Latin, German
- Meaning: Soldier, merciful
- Pronunciation: MYE-loh
- Namesakes: Milo Ventimiglia, an American actor known for his role on This Is Us.
- Popularity: Milo hit #119 in 2025 with 2,974 boys named, its best rank in U.S. records.
Minka
Minka is a trimmer take on Minna and a short form of Wilhelmina. Rare as it is, a girl named Minka has company: Minka Kelly on screen and Minka Pradelski behind the camera. Jodi Picoult used the name for a character in The Storyteller. Minnie is the obvious nickname, courtesy of Disney.
- Origin: German, Polish
- Meaning: Strong, resolute
- Pronunciation: MIHN-kah
- Namesakes: Minka Kelly, an American actress known for her role in Friday Night Lights.
- Popularity: Minka ranked #6,047 in 2025 with 20 girls named; its best U.S. rank was #3,691, in 2012.
Monte
Monte started as a short form of Montgomery and now stands on its own for plenty of families. The mountain in the meaning points to Gomeric’s mountain, named for a Viking leader with a talent for staying alive. Anyone who travels will think of Monte Carlo first. It is a short, warm name that quietly says resilience is something you build from the inside.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Manpower, mountain
- Pronunciation: MON-tee
- Popularity: Monte ranked #1,473 in 2025 with 121 boys named, down from its 1952 peak at #293.
Montgomery
Montgomery arrived as a French surname and settled in comfortably as a first name. The long reading, from the mountain of the powerful man, again points back to Gomeric’s mountain. Montgomery Meigs, a civil engineer and general, built things that are still standing. Most Montgomerys answer to Monty by the second grade.
- Origin: French, English
- Meaning: Manpower
- Pronunciation: mont-GUM-ree
- Namesakes: Montgomery Wilson, a Canadian figure skater.
- Popularity: Montgomery ranked #962 in 2025, with 241 births that year; its best rank came in 1964, at #893.
Murphy
Murphy has been an American classic for boys since the early 1900s and crossed over to girls around 2020. These days it is given to girls more often, which is a good argument that surnames can be soft. Murphy Anderson drew comics with it, and Samuel Beckett used it for a novel. The meaning, sea warrior, gives a modern-sounding name some genuine grit.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Sea warrior
- Pronunciation: MER-fee
- Variations: Murphee
- Namesakes: Murphy Jensen, an American tennis player.
- Popularity: Murphy reached #397 in 2025 with 783 babies named, its best rank yet after years of steady climbing.
Myla
Myla is the feminine counterpart to Miles, a name once reserved for soldiers, and it keeps the soldier and merciful pair intact. Military families often like it for exactly that reason. It only reached American records in the 1910s and stayed scarce for decades, which is why it still sounds new. Myla Goldberg, the novelist, is the bearer to hand a bookish girl.
- Origin: Latin, Slavic
- Meaning: Soldier, merciful
- Pronunciation: MYE-lah
- Namesakes: Myla Goldberg, an American novelist.
- Popularity: Myla ranked #210 in 2025 with 1,436 girls named, just off its 2023 best of #181.
Nakoa
Nakoa picked up American attention after Jason Momoa chose it for his son. Alternate readings include brave, which suits a boy who tries the high dive first. For parents after survivor names with Hawaiian vibes, this is the one that travels best.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The warriors
- Pronunciation: nuh-KOH-ah
- Popularity: Nakoa ranked #1,606 in 2025 with 106 boys named, close to its 2023 best of #1,524.
Ned
Ned began as a short form of Edgar and Edward, and it carries their sense of guardianship along with fortune. It had a real run in the 1930s, helped along by Ned Nickerson in the Nancy Drew mysteries. Ned Rorem wrote music under it for decades. The name has been nearly dormant since the 1970s, which is exactly the opening a family looking for something unworn needs.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Guardian, warrior
- Pronunciation: NED
- Namesakes: Ned Rorem, an American composer.
- Popularity: Ned is scarce now, ranking #9,452 in 2025 with eight boys named; its best year was 1939, at #312.
Nereo
Nereus, the Greek root behind Nereo, was the son of the sea and could change shape at will. Homer calls him the Old Man of the Sea in The Iliad. He survived a long list of encounters, including a wrestling match with Heracles, which is precisely the quality parents are after here. May a boy named Nereo come out of his own scrapes as well as his namesake did.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Strong swimmer
- Pronunciation: NEER-ee-oh
- Popularity: U.S. records last list Nereo in 2002; its best rank was #7,782, in 1987.
Nile
Nile will send most people to the river in Africa, but it has European roots. It is a variation of Niall, the Irish source of Neil, and the meaning is simply champion. Nile Kinnick played football and flew planes. Unlike other place names, this one never had a long run in fashion, so it stays quiet.
- Origin: Irish, Celtic
- Meaning: Champion
- Pronunciation: NYE-uhl
- Namesakes: Nile Kinnick, an American football player and aviator.
- Popularity: Nile ranked #1,848 in 2025 with 86 boys named; its best U.S. rank was #1,045, in 1940.
Osiris
Osiris, also called Usir, held one of the largest roles in Egyptian mythology. His rival took the throne and killed him, and Osiris came back as ruler of the dead. A boy named for him carries the idea that resilience does not always look like winning the first round. Osiris Eldridge played college basketball under it, so the name is not confined to mythology.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Powerful one
- Pronunciation: oh-SYE-riss
- Namesakes: Osiris Eldridge, an American basketball player.
- Popularity: Osiris ranked #1,077 in 2025 with 200 boys named; its best rank came in 2020, at #917.
Osmond
The Osmonds are the association nobody escapes, the family act that filled the 1970s, with Donny and Marie carrying it into acting and writing. Underneath the showbiz sits divine protection, which is why the name belongs here at all. Osmond Ezinwa ran for Nigeria under it. It suits parents who like the idea of a guardian angel written into a birth certificate.
- Origin: English, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Divine protection
- Pronunciation: AHZ-muhnd
- Namesakes: Osmond Ezinwa, a Nigerian runner.
- Popularity: Osmond is rare in the U.S., ranking #6,713 in 2025 with 13 boys named; its best year was 1917, at #2,162.
Oz
Oz will always summon a yellow brick road, though the Hebrew name came first, serving as a short form for names like Ozni. The meaning covers strength and resilience, with alternates running to pure. Two letters, one syllable, impossible to misspell. Ozzy adds a bit of rock to it.
- Origin: Hebrew, Turkish
- Meaning: Strength, resilience
- Pronunciation: AHZ
- Namesakes: Oz Raly, an Israeli football player.
- Popularity: Oz ranked #3,490 in 2025 with 33 boys named, near its 2019 best of #2,793.
Peyton
Peyton grew out of Patrick, so a St. Patrick’s Day baby has a ready-made reason to claim it. As a surname it marked a place where people fought to keep their land, which is where the survivor reading comes from. Peyton Manning gave it a decade of Sunday afternoons. One Tree Hill and CSI: NY put it on girls, and the name has worked for both ever since.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: Fighting man’s estate
- Pronunciation: PAY-tuhn
- Variations: Payton
- Namesakes: Peyton Manning, an American football player.
- Popularity: Peyton ranked #199 in 2025 with 1,559 babies named, down from its 2009 peak at #42.
Philomena
Philomena comes out of ancient Greece and reached American records in the 1880s. It did best in the early 1900s, when long, ornate names for girls were the fashion. Alternate readings include courageous lover and loved one. Philomena Begley, an Irish singer and songwriter, has carried it on stage for decades, and Phy works for a girl who wants something shorter.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Lover of strength
- Pronunciation: FILL-oh-MEE-nah
- Variations: Filomena
- Namesakes: Philomena Begley, an Irish singer and songwriter.
- Popularity: Philomena ranked #1,920 in 2025 with 101 girls named, well below its 1915 peak at #355.
Pilar
Pilar is literally a pillar, the part of a building left standing when the rest comes down. That image does more for a survivor name than any warrior word could. It also honors Maria del Pilar, a title given to the Virgin Mary. Pilar Miro directed films under it, giving the name a modern bearer to match the sacred one.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Pillar
- Pronunciation: PEE-lar
- Namesakes: Pilar Miro, a Spanish film director and screenwriter.
- Popularity: Pilar ranked #3,336 in the U.S. in 2025 with 47 girls named; its best rank was #1,317, in 1924.
Rafael
Rafael is the Spanish form of Raphael, and the meaning, God has healed, makes it the most tender name on this list. It describes a child who came through with help, which is why Christian families reach for it so often. Rafael Yglesias has written novels and screenplays under it for decades. Rafi and El both work as short forms.
- Origin: Spanish, Portuguese
- Meaning: God has healed
- Pronunciation: RAH-fye-EL
- Variations: Raphael
- Namesakes: Rafael Yglesias, an American novelist.
- Popularity: Rafael ranked #218 in 2025, with 1,639 births that year; its best rank was #195, back in 1985.
Ragnar
Ragnar describes a man who gave counsel to an army, so the strength here is strategic rather than brute. Ragnar Lodbrok, the Viking hero, has been retold so many times that the history and the legend no longer separate cleanly, and the show Vikings only widened the gap. Ragnar Klavan carried the name onto football pitches for Estonia. It is a direct way to hand a son his Norse heritage.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Warrior
- Pronunciation: RAG-nar
- Namesakes: Ragnar Klavan, an Estonian football player.
- Popularity: Ragnar ranked #2,561 in 2025 with 52 boys named, close to its 2023 best of #1,723.
Rainer
Rainer is the German form of Raniero and Reinier, names for military leaders who thought before they moved. Alternate readings include wise and advice. The poet Rainer Maria Rilke is the bearer worth knowing, and the band Rainer Maria borrowed his name outright. Gamers may recognize it from Pokemon, which gives the name a second life with a younger crowd.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Deciding warrior
- Pronunciation: RYE-ner
- Variations: Rainier
- Namesakes: Rainer Rilke, an Austrian poet and essayist.
- Popularity: Rainer ranked #3,429 in 2025 with 34 boys named; its best U.S. rank was #1,783, in 1964.
Richard
Richard was a top-tier American name for half a century, which is exactly why it now sounds distinctive on a small boy. Alternate readings include brave ruler and firm. Richard Dreyfuss, of American Graffiti, is one of a very long list of bearers. Rich, Rick, and Ricky give a boy three completely different personalities to choose from.
- Origin: German, English
- Meaning: Brave, hardy
- Pronunciation: RIHCH-ehrd
- Namesakes: Richard Dreyfuss, an American actor known for his role in American Graffiti.
- Popularity: Richard ranked #234 in 2025 with 1,505 boys named, a long way down from its 1930 peak at #5.
Roger
Roger is the English form of Hroger, a German name reading as famous spear. It picked up a second life on the radio, where roger means the message was received and understood, which suits a kid who actually listens. Roger Sherman signed the founding documents of the United States; Roger Taylor drummed for Queen. Few names span quite that range.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Famous warrior
- Pronunciation: RAH-jer
- Variations: Rodger
- Namesakes: Roger Taylor, an American musician, and member of Queen.
- Popularity: Roger ranked #834 in 2025 with 297 boys named, far below its 1945 peak at #22.
Rosetta
Rosetta grows out of Rosa and carries the rose along with it, a flower that reads as love, friendship, or purity depending on its color. Scholars will hear the Rosetta Stone, the slab that cracked a lost language open, which is a fine thing for a bright girl to be named after. Rosetta LeNoire acted for decades and is best remembered from Family Matters. The meaning, noted protector, keeps it on this list. Rosie handles the playground years.
- Origin: Italian, Persian, German
- Meaning: Noted protector
- Pronunciation: roh-ZEH-tah
- Variations: Rozetta
- Namesakes: Rosetta LeNoire, an American actress known for her work in Family Matters.
- Popularity: Rosetta ranked #3,289 in 2025 with 48 girls named; it did best in 1935, at #270.
Sahana
Sahana is one of the names of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, who presides over wealth, prosperity, beauty, and fertility. That makes it a natural fit for the season of life that brings a baby home. It also reads as patience, which every parent hopes a daughter picks up eventually. Spiritual and durable at once, without sounding heavy.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Powerful, enduring
- Pronunciation: suh-HAN-ah
- Popularity: Sahana ranked #1,921 in 2025 with 101 girls named, near its 2011 best of #1,425.
Sandra
Sandra began as a short form of Alessandra and Cassandra and became a name in its own right decades ago. Sandra Dee defined it for one generation with Gidget, and Sandra Bullock did it again with Miss Congeniality. The meaning, protector of humanity, is unusually broad for a name this familiar. Sandie is the short form, and SpongeBob fans will already have one in mind.
- Origin: Greek, Italian
- Meaning: Protector of humanity
- Pronunciation: SAN-druh
- Namesakes: Sandra Bullock, an American actress known for her role in Miss Congeniality.
- Popularity: Sandra ranked #1,210 in 2025 with 188 girls named, a long fall from its 1947 peak at #5.
Sasha
Sasha is a short form of Natasha and also connects back to Alexander, which is where defender comes from. American families most often read it as a girl name. Beyonce borrowed it for a stage persona, which gave it a fierce second reputation. Sasha Pieterse, of Pretty Little Liars, keeps it on screen.
- Origin: Greek, Russian
- Meaning: Defender, warrior
- Pronunciation: SAH-sha
- Namesakes: Sasha Pieterse, a South African actress known for her role in Pretty Little Liars.
- Popularity: Sasha ranked #684 in 2025 with 414 babies named, down from its 1988 peak at #147.
Shiloh
Shiloh was a sanctuary city for the Israelites and, in Christian reading, a name applied to Christ. It was also called the City of Tranquility, because of the peace people found there after everything else, which is a rare combination of calm and survival in one word. American parents used it mostly for girls after 2007 and began giving it to boys after 2010. Shy is the ready-made nickname.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Tranquil, one who protects
- Pronunciation: SHYE-low
- Popularity: Shiloh ranked #281 in 2025 with 1,098 babies named, just off its 2024 best of #260.
Shomari
Shomari is the pick for parents who want Swahili roots and something almost nobody else has. It describes a boy with a forceful personality, which is a trait most survivors share. Very little else is on the record about it, so a boy named Shomari gets to write the entry himself.
- Origin: Swahili
- Meaning: One with a forceful personality
- Pronunciation: sho-MAR-ee
- Popularity: Shomari ranked #9,583 in 2025 with eight boys named; its best rank was #1,540, in 1977.
Sigourney
Sigourney brings Sigourney Weaver to mind before anything else, and given how many films she has spent outrunning something, that suits a survivor list. The name turns up in The Great Gatsby as well. Alternate readings include the conqueror. Siggie is the nickname for a girl who wants something friendlier than four syllables.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Victorious conqueror
- Pronunciation: sih-GOR-nee
- Popularity: Sigourney is the rarest name here that SSA still ranks: five girls received it in the U.S. in 2025, roughly one in every 333,000 births, at #16,931.
Sisu
Sisu is a Finnish idea more than a name: the grit that shows up after the reasonable amount of effort has run out. Finns use it to describe their own national character, forged by people who came through winters and wars that should have finished them. The researcher Emilia Lahti analysed more than 1,000 responses from Finns and others knowledgeable about sisu, and calls it a quality Finns hold dear, though the phenomenon itself is universal. It reads unisex, though the soft sound sends most parents toward girls.
- Origin: Finnish
- Meaning: Resilience, strength
- Pronunciation: SEE-soo
- Popularity: Sisu stays below the threshold U.S. birth records need to publish a rank.
Tadeo
Tadeo is the Spanish form of Thaddeus, one of the twelve original disciples. Alternate readings include praise and heart, a reminder that gratitude tends to outlast most other coping strategies. The animated Tadeo Jones films borrowed the Indiana Jones formula and put a Spanish name on it. Teddy is the short form nearly every Tadeo ends up with.
- Origin: Spanish, Greek
- Meaning: Courageous, gift of God
- Pronunciation: tah-DAY-oh
- Namesakes: Tadeo Gomez, an American guitar maker for Fender.
- Popularity: Tadeo ranked #427 in 2025 with 753 boys named, close to its 2024 best of #412.
Thor
Thor is the god of storms and the protector of mortals, hammer in hand and trouble usually close behind. The myths put him through repeated attempts on his life, which is the part that earns him a place on this list rather than a superhero page. Marvel gave the name a second century of life. Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer and scientist, proved the name works on people too.
- Origin: Norse, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Thunder
- Pronunciation: THOR
- Namesakes: Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer and scientist.
- Popularity: Thor ranked #2,875 in 2025 with 44 boys named; its best U.S. rank was #883, in 1968.
Thora
Thora is the feminine form of Thor and carries the same thunder. It was in regular American use until the 1920s, which gives it a scholarly, slightly bookish air today. Thora Hird acted in Talking Heads. PBS Kids put a Thora in Arthur, so a small girl will not feel alone with it.
- Origin: Scandinavian, Norse
- Meaning: Thunder goddess
- Pronunciation: THOR-ah
- Namesakes: Thora Hird, an English actress known for her role in Talking Heads.
- Popularity: Thora ranked #6,093 in 2025 with 20 girls named; its best year was 1913, at #693.
Valentino
Valentino is Italian to its bones, and it comes with two very different bearers: Valentino Garavani, who built a fashion house on shoes and red dresses, and Valentino Rossi, who won motorcycle championships. The meaning runs to strength and health. Its link to Valentine makes it a natural for a February baby.
- Origin: Latin, Spanish, Italian
- Meaning: Strength, health
- Pronunciation: val-en-TEEN-oh
- Namesakes: Valentino Rossi, an Italian motorbike racer.
- Popularity: Valentino reached #444 in 2025 with 710 boys named, its best rank in U.S. records.
Valerio
Valerio is a variation of Valerian, which is also a flower that stands for strength. Valerian root has been used as a sleep remedy since the second century, so exhausted parents may want to treat the name as a small act of optimism. Val works as a short form. The meaning pair, healthy and strong, is exactly what most families wish for out loud in the delivery room.
- Origin: Spanish, Latin
- Meaning: Healthy, strong
- Pronunciation: vuh-LAIR-ee-oh
- Popularity: Valerio ranked #5,375 in 2025 with 18 boys named; its best U.S. rank was #2,749, in 1955.
Victoria
Roman religion gave Victoria the job of personifying victory itself. Queens and princesses across Europe have carried it, and one of them lent her name to an entire age. The meaning needs no interpretation, which is part of why the name has never really left the American top 100. Vicky sounds like a grandmother’s friend and Tori sounds like a teenager, so a girl gets to pick her decade.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Victory
- Pronunciation: vik-TOR-ee-ah
- Namesakes: Victoria Justice, an American actress known for her role in Victorious.
- Popularity: Victoria ranked #54 in 2025 with 4,027 girls named, holding steady below its 1998 peak at #16.
Walter
Walter is the English form of Walthari, which reads as commander of the army. It sounds serious enough that a boy tends to grow into a certain amount of respect whether he wants it or not. Walt Whitman wrote poems under it and Walt Disney built an empire, which is a decent pair of role models for one name.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Powerful warrior
- Pronunciation: WAWL-ter
- Namesakes: Walter (Walt) Whitman, an American poet.
- Popularity: Walter ranked #252 in 2025 with 1,381 boys named, up over the past decade though still well below its 1914 peak at #10.
Wulfric
Wulfric is a wolf name, and wolves stand for destiny, creation, and renewal depending on which tradition you follow. They also hunt in packs, so the strength is collective rather than solitary. Wulfric of Haselbury, a saint credited with miracles, has a February feast day. Few names carry that much consonant weight, so it suits parents who want a son’s name spoken with confidence rather than shortened.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Wolf power
- Pronunciation: WUUL-frik
- Popularity: Wulfric is scarce in the U.S., ranking #13,805 in 2025 with five boys named; records first list it in 2012.
Zaiden
Zaiden is the choice for parents who want a survivor name that starts with Z. It sounds modern because it is, arriving in American records only in 2000. Anyone who likes Brayden or Aiden but wants something less common will land here. Zaide works as a nickname, and the meaning, strength and increase, does the rest.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Strength, increase
- Pronunciation: ZAY-dehn
- Variations: Zayden, Zaidin
- Popularity: Zaiden ranked #609 in 2025 with 466 boys named; its best rank was #336, in 2013.
Zenobia
Zenobia belonged to the queen of Palmyra, who took a provincial city and turned it into a rival to Rome. She was celebrated for her intellect as much as her nerve, which is a rare thing for an ancient ruler to be remembered for. The meaning, force of Zeus, is not subtle. It suits a girl you can already picture running something.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Force of Zeus
- Pronunciation: zen-OH-bee-ah
- Namesakes: Zenobia Campuri, a Spanish writer and poet.
- Popularity: Zenobia ranked #6,541 in 2025 with 18 girls named; its best U.S. rank was #932, in 1919.
Zuberi
Zuberi is among the rarest names on this list, used sparingly even where it comes from. It also runs as a prominent surname in Pakistan, where it reads as elite. The meaning is simply strong, no ornament attached. A boy given it will be explaining it his whole life, and he will have a good story to tell each time.
- Origin: Swahili
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: zoo-BAIR-ee
- Popularity: U.S. records last list Zuberi in 2022, with five boys named; its best rank was #5,122, in 1977.
