Names That Mean Friend

Kahlil, spelled in various ways, was first brought into the American consciousness by the poet Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet.

St Elwen is venerated in Cornwall and Brittany, and lent his name to several regional place names. It is also found as a surname, especially in Norfolk, England.

The name of one of the branches of the Great Sioux Nation has a very namelike sound, but is not used as a name by the Lakota people themselves, and could be seen as appropriative.

Diminutive of Alvina, and a cute boyish retro nickname we can see making its way back onto a few birth certificates today.

Native-American feel via similarity to Winona.

Sounds elven in every sense of the word.

An ancient name belonging to several medieval English clergymen, also spelt Leofwin or Leobwin.

An Old French and English name thought to derive from the Germanic elements alah "sanctuary" and win "friend". Variant forms include Alcwin and Alawin.

Feminine name consistently popular in the Latino community.

Ro- names are on the rise — think Roman, Rory, and Rowan — but straightforward and streamlined Row (and Rowe, Roe, and Ro) takes this trend to the next level. The pared-down single syllable gives Row an ultra-cool edge.

One of several similar names well used in the Muslim community.

One step up from Irwin, and that's not nearly enough.

Variant form of Khalil common in Turkey.

Variation of Rowena.

A twist on Darwin with the same friendly meaning. Its lovable-nerd feel is given a cool edge by several football players with the name.

Gives Corwin a Welsh appearance.

Oprah's almost mononymic first name is too closely tied to her personality (and brand) for us to recommend it as a baby name in good faith. Her surname, however, is definitely name-worthy. Winfrey works as a modern update to Whitney, with the added bonus of being associated with one of the most influential women of our time.

This name of a subtribe in the Great Sioux Nation could make an inventive twist on the overused Dakota.

The Polish form of Ruth has mostly been lost outside of Poland, but though rare, it can still be heard in Polish and Eastern European communities. Ruta has only ever appeared on Illinois' state data, due to Chicago's large Polish population. With Ruth now on the ascent, Ruta may be worth rediscovering.