Names That Mean Ruler

Often spelled Gauthier, this could make a distinctive way to honor Grandpa Walter, but first syllable pronounced 'goat' might be a problem.

Haumea is the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth, said to have created a potion to allow humans to be able to give birth naturally. The meaning of the name is likely related to the blood shed in childbirth. A dwarf planet beyond Neptune's orbit is named in Haumea's honor.

Striking Finnish form of the Germanic name Walter, most famously borne today by F1 driver Valtteri Bottas.

A cool and wearable option for honoring an ancestral Harold.

A form of Heinrich or Henrike (Henry in English), as well as of their feminine counterparts. Now most commonly feminine, but certainly an attractive choice for either sex.

Think Harry with a go-getter ending.

This name of a saint from Galway whose monastery became a center of learning, is an undiscovered Gaelic gem.

Zolten is a variant spelling of Zoltan, which is currently in the Top 50 in Hungary, its country of origin. We recommend you stick with the original spelling, which remains extremely rare.

A new one for the ever-growing collection of royal baby names.

May cut it in Budapest, but not in Boise. Just Fritz would be preferable.

A legitimate Estonian name, but virtually unusable in the English-speaking world.

Where's Walda? Out of the running.

Fiete is an extremely popular German name for boys that has not migrated to the English-speaking world. But it ranks among Germany's Top 100 boy names.

Like Mitzi, the bubbly Fritzi/Fritzie shows signs of rising again,

One way to set up a superiority complex in your child is to call your child Czar as American actor Rockmond Dunbar did in 2016.

An old-timey nickname for Derrick that has since been forgotten.

Hatty is an old school nickname for Harriet, itself an old-fashioned choice. The more usual spelling historically is Hattie, with was given to more than 750 baby girls last year in the US, three times as many as were named Harriet. Hatty, by contrast, was used for fewer than five babies -- quite a contrast!

This Dutch variation of Walter is pronounced vow-ter, although Americans will likely default to wooter or wowter.