Names That Mean Brave, Strong, or Powerful

Well used in Japan, appreciated for its powerful meaning.

If there are too many Connors in your neighborhood, this name is equally authentic and much more unusual. Spelled Conal or Conall, it's a prominent name in Irish history, borne by a number of kings and heroes.

Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.

Enigmatic choice of enigmatic John Malkovich.

Unfortunate identification with an army of rats in the movie of the same name.

Aza's similarity to the biblical name Asa makes it ripe for adaptation. If you want something more elaborate, you might consider Azariah. Something simpler? It doesn't get much simpler and that is the beauty of Aza (or Asa).

This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm of crossover possibility via the lively personality of Aziz Ansari, stand-up comic and star of "Master of None" as well as a featured actor on "Parks and Recreation," playing cocky Tom Haverford (born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani).

Warrick has recently come into the spotlight as the character Warrick Brown on the TV show CSI. The more conventional spelling is Warwick, a medieval English noble name.

If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.

Audrina is a name that owes its fame to overnight reality TV sensation Audrina Partridge, one of the original cast of the MTV reality series The Hills.

This male relative of the Emily family was borne by two Greek saints, one a fourth century martyr who destroyed pagan images and the other a ninth century bishop. Variations include Emilios and Aemilios. The Latin Aemilius, from the ancient family name, may be unrelated.

Associated with Reynard the cunning fox in medieval European animal tales. Reynard can make an unusual yet historic choice for a modern boy, a modern day Richard or Robert.

Commonly heard in its native country, and might get a boost here too, now that Alanis Morrissette has used it for her son Ever's middle name.

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

Has an old-time country feeling, perhaps due to Ma Rainey, considered the "Mother of the Blues". This is the most popular spelling of the name, given to about 50 girls last year, with half as many called Rainy and a quarter named Rainie, the spelling used by Andie MacDowell for her now-grown daughter.

Old World Jewish name that could travel to the New.

Loose, lean, and lanky cowboy-sounding names have become a recent trend, but how about the name of a real one--the Singing Cowboy Gene. Autry might be thought of as a masculine spin on the fashionable Audrey or a fresher version of Austin or Auden.

Some other cowboy surnames from the Golden Age of movie and TV westerns: Boone, Boyd, Cody, Corrigan, Gibson, Hart, Holt, Houston, McCoy and Renaldo.

Ermentrude was the name of two medieval queens of France. Despite these distinguished beginnings, this antique name is unlikely to catch on with contemporary parents, perhaps because the first syllable may sound unattractive to the modern ear and the last two syllables are the equivalent of intrude. Then there's that rude final syllable. English variant Ermintrude is equally unlikely to find favor.

Shakti is the female equivalent of the god Shiva in Hinduism. A sacred name sometimes used in a secular way.

Mythological goddess of fertility whose name seems, ironically, among the least attractive.