Virtue Names

A warm and positive English word name, used by the Puritans for both sexes but now given to only around a dozen baby girls each year.

One of the new generation of virtue names, with Peace and Justice taking over from the Puritans' Absolution and Forgiveness, but this one is still a bit heavy to carry.

Modesty is a virtue name dating to Roman times, but never widely used, except for hot 1960s movie spoof heroine, Modesty Blaise, based on a comic strip.

Forget Patience and Charity: Here's a Colonial name (and sentiment) that seems perfect for modern times.

This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not? And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so much. Could be used as a middle name, as Talisa Soto and Benjamin Bratt did.

Honor-related names are climbing in popularity, such as Honesty, Honor, and now Honest.

Fidelity is an admirable virtue, yes, but as a name it tends to sound like a financial institution. Faith, Honor, or Patience would be easier to live with than Fidelity.

One Puritan virtue name unlikely to thrive in the 21st century.

With its ties to tranquil Walden Pond, and harmonious meaning, this could be a modern virtue name.

Believe it or not, Prudence is on the rise for girls in both the US and UK. Could Prudent be next?

A Puritan-virtue type name that could possibly work for a modern baby with its rhythmic four-syllable sound and admirable meaning.

If you want to give your child the gift of...gab.

A striking word name for either gender. It's a safer choice when used as a middle name.

The mother of all virtue names.

A handful of baby girls are named Awesome each year, and they better be.

A winning unisex word name, fresher than Victoria or Victor.

An admirable quality to impart; Pleasant was used by Charles Dickens in Our Mutual Friend and in modern times is known via American Girl dolls creator Pleasant Rowland.

Chivalry isn't dead, and what better way to prove it than by bestowing it as a name upon a newborn?

A lovely virtue to bestow upon a child for a bold namer.

Full-hearted new virtue choice, though five syllables is a lot to handle.