Names That Mean Brave

Bernie is an old school unisex nickname name, on the order of Bobbie or Willie. But with Billie and her tomboyish crew coming back, it's time to get Bernie on your radar! Bernie has a certain vintage charm and is boosted by the funky clunky Bernadette long form.

While still very rare, the name Valiant was given to six baby boys in the US last year. And it's an inspiring choice.

Derived from the Old German elements ekka "edge, blade" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". Eckhart Tolle is a German writer, and it is also found as a surname.

Memorable as the Waspy Robert Redford character who captivated the young Barbra Streisand in the film classic "The Way We Were": Hubbell Gardiner.

This variation of Rostam might be more English-friendly given its resemblance to the familiar Russ or Russell.

Just a few years ago, Dustin, Dylan, and Daryl seemed like radical, edgy names for girls; now even Great-aunt Alberta wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

A sophisticated girls' name for those attracted to Leona, Leonie and Leonore.

Though you might have been a fan of tennis star Chris Evert, stick with EVERETT, which everyone will think you're saying anyway.

Old-school nicknames for boys are back, and Lenn is a great candidate for revival. Single-N Len may not be as cool as this Dutch version, originally a nickname for Lennart.

Welsh form of Richard.

This charming Japanese name, with two meanings every little boy would love to have, was briefly in the Canadian Top 100 in the early 20th Century. There are many famous bearers of the name, such as architect Isamu Noguchi and physicist Isamu Akasaki.

An auspicious name for a first-born son with Japanese heritage. Some may be familiar with the name Yuichi from the anime series Kanon.

Valiant is an inspirational word name that can work for a child of any gender, though the six babies given this name last year were all boys.

Common surname rarely used as a first.

Back in the day, Con was a nickname for Cornelius and Conrad. Today it feels like a pet form of Connor.

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

Casey-with-a-K never quite reached the heights of the original, but it broke the Top 500 for boys in the late '80s and early '90s.

Chirpy form of Leonard that's common in its native Slovenia.

Dutch form of Baldwin

Alternative spelling of Zorawar