Names That Mean Protector, Defender, or Guardian

A name that is rarely heard and might be worth considering as a way of zipping up a namesake Sandra. It has long been associated with iconoclastic British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.

This common Scandinavian name, also spelled Osmund, is only occasionally heard in this country.

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation challenging: a-lehk-SAHN-dreh, but that last syllable is barely pronounced. Americans might an an a or an ee on the end of the name, or simply pronounce it as Alexander, for better or worse.

Name of one of the three main Hindu gods.

Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.

Variation of Pharamond.

Alexandra is a name with many international variations, elaborations and short forms, and Alexandrine is one of the more unusual. Another, Alexandrina, was the first name of Queen Victoria.

If you want to go waaaaay beyond William, consider this Welsh form, which can also be spelled Gwilym, Gwilim, or Gwillym.

William was such a popular name, thanks to the Conquerer, in early England that it gave rise to a range of nicknames, including the distinctly Scottish Wilkie. Heard mostly as a surname these days, it's the middle name of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's son James and the first name of writer Collins. While Wilkie could make an adorable short form for a little boy, we'd recommend a more substantial full name such as, well, William.

The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than 20 baby girls named Rosamund in the US last year while Rosamond didn't even register with five.

Old Norse name that lives on more appealingly in modern times as Jalmari, short form Jari.

Distinctive-sounding Scandinavian name. with deep roots. Short form is the attractive Jari.

One of the least known of the Ken names, though could make an intriguing namesake for an outdated Kenneth.

An ancient saint's name belonging to an 8th century English missionary. Variants include Walpurga and Walpurgis.

An unusual yet accessible Scandinavian choice, though it might be confused with Harvard.

Lighter Latin version of Anselm.

Sometimes heard in Scotland, where its heyday was in the times of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, here we would prefer the Germanic version, Wilhelmina, brought into the spotlight by the conniving character on "Ugly Betty."

Tenzan is a variation of Tenzin, a name with special significance for Buddhists, being the first name of the Dalai Lama.

With Yale and Brown in the mainstream, why not this upscale college name and surname as well.

This unusual form of Alexandra might be seen and pronounced as a combination of Alex and Anne.