The Portrait Hall

Names by Character

Choose the qualities you hope your child will carry. Every name shown here has a meaning that truly expresses that quality, rated certain or likely by its history.

Bravecourage, boldness, a lion's heartWisewisdom, counsel, learningGentlemildness, tenderness, calmJoyfuljoy, delight, laughterFaithfulfaith, loyalty, steadfastnessStrongstrength, might, enduranceFreefreedom, a free personKindkindness, mercy, grace toward othersNoblenobility, honor, high birthPeacefulpeace, friendship, quietBrightlight, radiance, shining fameVictoriousvictory, triumphBelovedlove, being cherishedGracefulgrace, beauty, charmHopefulhope, new beginningsProtectivea guardian, a shield, a defenderPurepurity, innocence, clarityBlessedblessing, a gift, good fortune

ForGirls and boysA girlA boyUsed for eitherStarts withAny letterABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZSyllablesAny1234+Common today?AnyPopularUncommonRareNot used todayHeritageAll heritagesEnglishScottishIrishWelshCornishManxAnglo-SaxonOld NorseNorwegianSwedishDanishIcelandicFinnishSamiFrenchBretonDutchFlemishFrankishGaulishGermanAustrianSwissCzechSlovakHungarianPolishGothicItalianSpanishCatalanBasquePortugueseGreekMalteseRussianUkrainianRomanianSerbianCroatianBulgarianLithuanianLatvianEstonianLatinAncient GreekHebrewAramaicEarly ChristianMexicanCentral AmericanAndeanBrazilianArgentineCaribbeanNahuaMayaQuechuaAmericanCanadianQuébécoisAcadianCajunAfrican AmericanCherokeeLakotaOjibweNavajoInuitOrderA to ZMost used todayMost used ever

18 names

CarlaGirlFeminine of Carl/Karl, from Germanic karl 'man, free man'.Modern · peak 1962

CarlomanBoyFrom Germanic karl 'man, free man' and mann 'man'.Early Medieval · forgotten

CarlosBoyThe Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, from Germanic karl 'free man'.Renaissance · peak 2001

CarlottaGirlA feminine diminutive of Carlo (Charles), from Germanic karl 'free man'.Victorian · peak 1948

CarlyGirlA pet form of Carla or Caroline, feminine forms of Charles (Germanic karl 'free man').Modern · peak 1995

CarolineGirlFeminine form of Carolus (Charles), from Germanic karl 'man, free man'.Revolutions · peak 1889

CharleneGirlA 20th-century feminine of Charles (Germanic karl 'free man') with the ending -ene.Modern · peak 1949 · forgotten

CharlesBoyFrom Latin Carolus, from Germanic karl 'man, free man'.Early Medieval · peak 1880

CharleyBoyA pet form of Charles, from Germanic karl 'free man'.Victorian · peak 1880

CharlotteGirlFrench feminine diminutive of Charles, from Germanic karl 'man, free man'.Renaissance · peak 2020

DeliveranceGirl or boyThe English word deliverance 'rescue, salvation'.Colonial · forgotten

EleftheriaGirlFrom Greek eleutheria 'freedom'.Modern

EleftheriosBoyFrom Greek eleutheros 'free'.Early Medieval

FranklinBoyFrom the surname, Middle English frankelin 'free landholder', from Anglo-Norman franc 'free'.Revolutions · peak 1933

KarlBoyFrom Germanic karl 'man, free man'.Early Medieval · peak 1963

LottieGirlEnglish pet form of Charlotte, from Germanic karl 'man, free man'.Victorian · peak 1894

SaoirseGirlModern Irish saoirse 'freedom, liberty'.Modern · peak 2020

SlobodanBoyFrom Slavic sloboda 'freedom'.Victorian · forgotten

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.