Names That Mean Father

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed. In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Most American parents would choose to use the more commonly seen variant, AXEL.

Abra is soft, sensitive feminine form of Abraham that was the name of a soft, sensitive character in the John Steinbeck book and movie, "East of Eden." In the bible, Abra was a favorite of King Solomon and it was a popular name in seventeenth century England. Abra is also a West African name used for girls born on Tuesday. The magical 'abracadabra' is thought to have originated in the Aramaic language.

Abram was Abraham's original name in the Bible; it's more user-friendly but with a bit less gravitas. And it does offer that cool nickname Bram, as well as the friendly Abe. After some early American usage, in 1936 Abram completely disappeared for nearly forty years, until its return in the 1970s.

Absalom, because of its biblical and literary associations, just might appeal to the daring namegiver.

Abiah is a Biblical name that appears for both female and male figures. It may be considered the same as the name Abijah in the Bible; one female Abijah was a queen and ancestor of Christ. Abiah may also be considered a relative of the Arabic name Abia. However you spell or pronounce it -- a - BY -a or a - BEE - a -- this name can be an original way to the nickname Abi.

A Top 100 name among boys, but a rare option for a girl. The French female form is Axelle (emphasis on the "elle").

Guns 'n' Roses musician Axl (born William) Rose created this name by dropping a vowel, a la Barbra Streisand. The traditional Axel is more popular, though celebrity parents Fergie and Josh Duhamel deliberately chose the Axl spelling to honor her rock hero.

Historically, Sire was a formal term for addressing male royalty, particularly a king. Sire can also mean "father" as both a noun and a verb.

A Julian translation that would be easy to wear — Yulian strikes the proper balance between unusual and familiar. Yuli is a common nickname in Russia.

Easy and approachable nickname for Yulian, the Russian and Bulgarian variation of Julian.

Avia is one of those multi-cultural, vowel-heavy girls' names so popular today, along with such choices as Ayla and Aya.

English speaking countries may only associate this with the fifth-century Hun, but the name is still well-used in contemporary Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

Abbie is a gently old-fashioned nickname name that owes its rising popularity to Top 10 Abigail. Abby may be the more usual spelling today.

Julissa is a Spanish version of Julia used mostly in Latin America. It peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s and now hovers near the bottom of the Top 1000.

Joining Lennon and Bowie in the realm of gender-neutral, classic rock-inspired names that feel fashionable today is Jovi — as in Bon Jovi. Jovi is a variation of the Latin Jove — another name for the Roman god of the sky, Jupiter.

Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.

This variation on the Julia theme has stayed in play due to the popularity of Julianne Moore, though it now sits at the bottom of the US Top 1000.

Abiel is a biblical name (he was the grandfather of Saul) that was used by Puritans, particularly in Massachusetts, so it has a long pedigree. Parents are increasingly looking for underused traditional names, and this name, with the great nickname option of Abe, is ripe for more use!

Although Julien is traditionally the male French form of Julian, musician Julien Baker has taken this variation of the name to the female side of the ledger. Julien is derived from the Ancient Roman Julius which is in turn related to the God name Jupiter or Jove, The most popular forms of the name in modern times have been Julia and Julian, but many variations for both genders, including Juliet, Julianne, and Julius, have become more visible too.