Names That Mean Freedom

  1. Karl
    • Origin:

      German and Scandinavian variation of Charles
    • Description:

      Manly almost to the point of macho.
  2. Chang
    • Origin:

      Chinese
    • Meaning:

      "smooth, free, unhindered"
    • Description:

      An Asian favorite.
  3. Karla
    • Origin:

      German variation of Carla
    • Description:

      Both Karla and Carla are sliding down the ranks, though Karla remains far more popular in the USA than Carla.
  4. Charley
    • Origin:

      Short form of Charles, French
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charley is, at this point, an old-fashioned spelling for the most popular short form of Charles, better known these days as Charlie. But Charley is a classic and relates more directly to Charles.
  5. Diarmaid
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      This authentic form of the name of an Irish mythological hero with the power to make women fall instantly in love with him would work far better here as the Anglicized Dermot.
  6. Corliss
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "carefree person"
    • Description:

      Corliss, eccentric yet well-established, has an independent and artistic air.
  7. Scheherazade
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "noble lineage"
    • Description:

      Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights. Her story is even more remarkable than the tales she tells.
  8. Fran
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Frances
    • Meaning:

      "from France or free man"
    • Description:

      This short form has been pretty much replaced by Frankie, however, it could fit in with other clunky but charming names, like Peggy, Bess, and Enid.
  9. Abrial
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "open, secure, protected"
    • Description:

      This unique baby name is stronger, more distinctive than April or Avril.
  10. Fran
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Francis
    • Meaning:

      "Frenchman or free man"
    • Description:

      While Franklin and Frankie might feel familiar in the US, Fran may feel like an unlikely choice for a boy today, however, it is currently one of several cool one syllable names of the Slovene Top 100. Also borne by football great Fran Tarkenton, it could make an alternative to Finn or Dan, and fit in with softer or gender neutral leaning options like Rowan, Jay, Beau, and Ozzie.
  11. Fanny
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Frances
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.
  12. Frisco
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Francisco
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice.
  13. Lysandra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "liberator"
    • Description:

      This name is the feminization of mythological name Lysander, which is best known to English-speakers as a character in Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream.
  14. Isra
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "nocturnal journey"
    • Description:

      An Arabic name with a powerful and alluring meaning, in Islamic tradition, Isra refers to one part of the Night Journey that the Prophet Muhammad, in which he led other prophets such as Ibrahim, Isa, and Musa in prayer. Popular in Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands, it is climbing the US charts.
  15. Fielder
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller in open country"
    • Description:

      An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.
  16. Eleftheria
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "free"
    • Description:

      Eleftheria is derived from the male saint's name Eleutherios/Eleftherios. The national motto of Greece is Eleftheria i thanatos, "freedom or death".
  17. Cisco
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Spanish Francisco
    • Meaning:

      "Frenchman or free man"
    • Description:

      Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.
  18. Charlee
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Charlie, diminutive of Charles or Charlotte
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlie in all its forms has been a popular gender neutral name since the early 2000s and is now given almost equally to girls and boys. While it did once lean more (statistically) masculine, it has been used on girls too since the before the 20th century.
  19. Hippolyte
    • Origin:

      French from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "releaser of horses"
    • Description:

      Hippolyte is the name of an Amazonian princess AND her son, both unfortunate mythical figures. The name Hippolyte, later borne by several saints, is a not an uncommon boys' name in France, but has barely set foot on American soil and is unlikely to do so. It was the middle name of famed French playwright Jean Giraudoux.
  20. Franny
    • Origin:

      Latin, diminutive of Frances
    • Meaning:

      "from France or free man"
    • Description:

      If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.