However, many names of boys and girls in English originally come from Latin words, so it is important to know their meanings. Some have remained almost – or even exactly – the same for two thousand years. Others have been changed through other intermediate languages, such as French, but remain recognizable. Here are some of the most common.
Boys' Names Based on Latin
Many male names that come from Latin originally had a descriptive purpose:
- Dexter: literally, "right-handed," but with the added meaning of skill and forthrightness. For the Romans, being left-handed, or sinister, was a sign of bad luck or untrustworthiness.
- Felix: Latin for "happy," or "fortunate." This was the nickname of the dictator Sulla, who was able to retire peacefully after wiping out his political enemies. A similar name is Hilary (now also a girl's name), which comes from the Latin for "cheerful" or "merry."
- Martin: meaning "warlike," this name ultimately comes from Mars, the Roman god of war.
- Sylvester: from silva, Latin for "woods." Sylvester roughly means "woodsy."
- Urban: from urbs, Latin for "city." A man who is urbanus is citified, or urbane.
- Valentine: derived from the verb valere, or "to be healthy or strong."
- Patrick: this comes from patricius, meaning "patrician," or "well-born." St. Patrick, for instance, was an aristocratic youth who was kidnapped into slavery in Ireland before converting it to Christianity.
- Quentin: This name comes from Quintus, or "Fifth." It was a common custom for Romans to name sons based on the order of their birth. This survives in a number of Romance languages, such as in the Italian name Primo (from primus, "first").
- Rufus: this is Latin for "red," originally given to a boy with red hair.
- Paul: this is based on the adjective paulus, meaning "small."
- Christopher: This literally means "bearer of Christ." Incidentally, the name Lucifer comes from the same construction (from lux, "light" and ferre, "to carry"), although for obvious reasons it's not as popular.
- Leo: Latin for "lion," this is also the source for the name Leonard, which means "strong as a lion."
- Rex: Latin for "king." Variants include Roy, which comes from the French word for king, roi.
- Victor: Latin for "conqueror." The Latin verb upon which it is based, vincere, is also the basis for the name Vincent.
- Augustus: Meaning "exalted," this was originally the title bestowed by the Roman Senate on the Emperor Augustus (previously known as Octavian). It's the source of "August," both the month and the adjective.
- Claudius: the underlying meaning is "lame," as it was the cognomen (or nickname) of the crippled Emperor Claudius of I, Claudius fame.
- Constantine: the name of the Emperor Constantine the Great comes from constans, or "reliable" or "firm."
- Horace: this name, the anglicized version of the Roman family name Horatius, is shared by the great Roman satirist Horace, as well as being the source of the name Horatio.
- Julian: this name originally indicated kinship with the Julii, the family of Julius Caesar.
- Lucius: meaning "shining," this name comes from the Latin word for "light," lux.
- Marcus: sometimes anglicized as Mark, this name, like Martin, is related to Mars.
Many Latin descriptive words form the basis for female names in English. Among these are:
- Amanda: this means "worthy to be loved." The name Amy also comes from the same verb, amare ("to love").
- Barbara: this name means "foreign" or "wild." It comes, via Latin, from the same Greek word as "barbarian."
- Beatrice or Beatrix: both these names come from beatum, or "blessing" or "happiness." Beatrix means "she who brings happiness."
- Clara: in Latin, clara literally means "shining" or "bright."
- Bella: this means "beautiful woman," and is also the source for the variant Belle.
- Felicia or Felicity: Like Beatrix, these come from a Latin word for "happiness," in this case felicitas.
- Marcia: this name means related to Mars, the Roman god of war.
- Miranda: this name means "worthy of admiration," and was popularized in English by Shakespeare when he gave it to Prospero's daughter in The Tempest.
- Serena: literally, this means "calm" or "serene."
- Virginia: "Maidenly," from virgo, the Latin word for virgin.
- Angela: meaning "angel," this is the Latin version of the Greek word for "messenger."
- Diana: this is the name of the Roman goddess of hunting, chastity, and the moon.
- Carmen: Latin for "song."
- Stella: in Latin, stella means "star," and is also the source of names such as Estella and Estelle.
- Gloria: this is the Latin word for "glory." Gratia, meaning "favor," is the source of the English name Grace.
- Julia: this name originally indicated a relationship with the Julii, the family of Julius Caesar. Likewise, the name June indicated kinship with the Junii, the equally-aristocratic family of Caesar's most famous assassin, Marcus Junius Brutus. (The month, however, is named for the goddess Juno.)
- Laura: this name is Latin for "laurel." Girls' names that come from Latin words for plants and flowers are quite common in English, including Rose (from rosa, "rose"), Silvia (from silva, "forest"), and Viola ("violet").
- Lucy: this name comes from Lucia, which in turn comes from lux, or "light."
- Regina: this means "queen" in Latin, the female equivalent of rex, "king." Similarly, Victoria's male equivalent is Victor, or "conqueror."
- Alma: This name means "cherishing," or "nourishing." It's best known nowadays in the figurative phrase Alma Mater ("nourishing mother"), referring to one's school.
- Aurelia: from aurum ("gold"), Aurelia means "golden." Aurelius, the male version, was also common in antiquity, as in the name of the Philosopher-Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
- Constance: this comes from constans, the Latin for "firm" or "trustworthy."
- Flora: meaning "flower," Flora is also recognizable in the expression flora and fauna, referring to plants and animals of a specific place.
- Norma: this means "form" or "guide"; the male equivalent is Norman.
- Ursula: literally, this is "little she-bear."