Names That Mean Strength

Brighid is the original Gaelic form of the name of the mythological goddess of fire, poetry, and wisdom. More commonly found these days in any number of different guises: Bridget, Brigid, Brigitte et al. Whatever form it takes, Brighid is one of the most classic and enduring Irish names for girls.

Evokes picture-postcard image of colorful Indonesia. Bali Barret is a Paris fashion insider who oversees women's style for Hermes. Bali rhymes with tally or galley.

Angus is the Anglicized spelling of the Scottish Gaelic name Aengus or Aonghus or Aonghas. Unless you have a cultural reason to choose one of the Gaelic variations, Angus is uncommon enough.

One bright spot: famous namesake Threepenny Opera playwright Berthold (later known as Bertolt) Brecht.

Cute nickname but the "gabby" synonym might prove problematic, especially is your daughter is chatty....or not.

A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.

An old-fashioned Slovene nickname for Gertruda — the Jerca variation is considered more stylish.

Brida, which may also be spelled Breda, is one of the many variations, Irish and otherwise, of the ancient saintly name Brighid. It's virtually unknown in the US, given to fewer than five baby girls in the most recent year counted.

Grit became a buzzword in the 2010s, thanks to both the 2010 film True Grit and psychologist Angela Duckworth's 2016 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance. The book, based on Duckworth's research, attributes success to grittiness. Clearly, the message stuck with parents, as Grit debuted as a name for boys in 2021.

Pronounced 'breed', this is among the common Irish names for girls in the Emerald Isle, but would have major pronunciation problems in the US. Better to stick with Bridget.

This obscure Zulu name was chosen by Stevie Wonder.

Clunky Gertrude is heading towards obscurity in the US, but here's a variation that might intrigue - Gesine, also spelled Gesina.

Birgit is pronounced with a hard 'g' and is one of the many international versions of the Irish Bridget. Birgit Nilsson was a celebrated Swedish operatic soprano.

Célimène is a literary name invented by the 17th century French playwright Molière for a character in his 1666 play Le Misanthrope. It may be derived from Latin and Greek elements meaning "heavenly" and "moon" or "strength". Notable real-life bearers include French singer Célimène Gaudieux and pianist Célimène Daudet.

Classic Scandinavian form of Bridget. Saint Birgitta of Sweden is the patron saint of Europe.

A bold, unisex virtue name that first made the charts for boys in 1990 and girls in 2008. Millennials may associate it with the Cartoon Network show Courage the Cowardly Dog, about a timid, good-natured dog by the name.

This name was used by the royal House of Luxembourg in the Middle Ages, as a diminutive of Irmentrude. We definitely think this spunky shortening improves upon the heavy German original.

Probably most familiar to English-speakers as Zsa Zsa Gabor's last name, the rise of other Eastern European boys' names like Casimir, Milo and Laszlo make Gabor an increasingly wearable option.