Names That Mean Ruler

A cool and wearable option for honoring an ancestral Harold.

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.

Torvald, not to be confused with Torvill of skating fame, is a Norse name which might be of interest to parents looking for Thor-related options. Torvald is most familiar in the English-speaking world as the infuriatingly sexist husband of Nora in Ibsen's play A Doll's House, which may account for its low usage. However, Linus Torvalds, inventor of Linux , might put the name into a more positive light, especially in Silicon Valley.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Where's Walda? Out of the running.

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

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.

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.

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

Variant of Heinrich