Adalhard m Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
adal "noble" and
hard "brave, hardy". Saint Adalhard or Adalard was a cousin of Charlemagne who became an abbot of Corbie.
Alparslan m TurkishFrom Turkish
alp meaning "brave" and
arslan meaning "lion", referring to the 11th-century Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan, who expanded the Seljuk Empire into Anatolia.
Anh m & f VietnameseOften from Sino-Vietnamese
英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of
Anh can change depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound.
Archibald m Scottish, EnglishDerived from the Germanic elements
ercan "genuine" and
bald "bold". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Aslan m Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Chechen, Ossetian, Circassian, LiteratureFrom Turkic
arslan meaning
"lion". This was a byname or title borne by several medieval Turkic rulers, including the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan (a byname meaning "brave lion") who drove the Byzantines from Anatolia in the 11th century. The author C. S. Lewis later used the name
Aslan for the main protagonist (a lion) in his
Chronicles of Narnia series of books, first appearing in 1950.
Balder m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Baldr meaning
"hero, lord, prince", derived from
baldr meaning "brave, bold". In Norse mythology Balder was the handsome son of
Odin and
Frigg. Because of the disturbing dreams he had when he was young, his mother extracted an oath from every thing in the world that it would not harm him. However the devious god
Loki learned that she had overlooked mistletoe. Being jealous, he tricked the blind god
Hoder into throwing a branch of mistletoe at Balder, which killed him.
Baldric m English (Archaic)Derived from the Germanic elements
bald "bold, brave" and
ric "ruler, mighty". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it was common in the Middle Ages.
Baldwin m English, Ancient GermanicMeans
"bold friend", derived from the Germanic elements
bald "bold, brave" and
win "friend". In the Middle Ages this was a popular name in Flanders and among the Normans, who brought it to Britain. It was borne by one of the leaders of the First Crusade, an 11th-century nobleman from Flanders. After the crusaders conquered Jerusalem, he was crowned as the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Batraz m Ossetian, Caucasian MythologyPossibly from Turkic
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior, brave". This is the name of the leader of the superhuman Narts in Caucasian mythology.
Bernard m English, French, Dutch, Polish, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic element
bern "bear" combined with
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).
Burkhard m German, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
burg meaning "protection" and
hard "brave, hardy". Saint Burkhard was a bishop who founded several monasteries in Germany in the 8th century.
Caner m TurkishFrom Turkish
can meaning "soul, life" and
er meaning "brave man".
Conrad m English, German, Ancient GermanicMeans
"brave counsel", derived from the Germanic elements
kuoni "brave" and
rad "counsel". This was the name of a 10th-century saint and bishop of Konstanz, in southern Germany. It was also borne by several medieval German kings and dukes. In England it was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has only been common since the 19th century when it was reintroduced from Germany.
Daler m TajikFrom Tajik
далерӣ (daleri) meaning
"courage", ultimately from Persian
دلاور (delaver) meaning "brave, valiant".
Decebal m RomanianMeans
"powerful, brave" in Dacian. This was the name adopted by Diurpaneus, a 1st-century king of Dacia. For many years he successfully resisted Roman expansion into his territory but was finally defeated by the forces of Emperor Trajan in 106.
Ercan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "brave man" and
can meaning "soul, life".
Erhan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er "brave man" and
han, which is from the title
khan meaning "leader".
Ertuğrul m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "brave man" and
tuğrul, referring to a mythical bird of prey.
Eun-Yeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Everard m English (Rare)Means
"brave boar", derived from the Germanic elements
ebur "wild boar" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced it to England, where it joined the Old English cognate
Eoforheard. It has only been rarely used since the Middle Ages. Modern use of the name may be inspired by the surname
Everard, itself derived from the medieval name.
Ferdinand m German, French, Dutch, English, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Ancient GermanicFrom
Ferdinando, the old Spanish form of a Germanic name composed of the elements
fardi "journey" and
nand "daring, brave". The Visigoths brought the name to the Iberian Peninsula, where it entered into the royal families of Spain and Portugal. From there it became common among the Habsburg royal family of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, starting with the Spanish-born Ferdinand I in the 16th century. A notable bearer was Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), called Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese, who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the earth.
Gerard m English, Dutch, Catalan, PolishDerived from the Germanic element
ger meaning "spear" combined with
hard meaning "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced this name to Britain. It was initially much more common than the similar name
Gerald, with which it was often confused, but it is now less common.
Godehard m Ancient GermanicGermanic name derived from the elements
god "god" and
hard "hardy, brave". This was the name of an 11th-century saint who was a bishop of Hildesheim.
Guiscard m Medieval FrenchNorman French form of the Norman name
Wischard, from Old Norse
vizkr "wise" and the Old French pejorative suffix
-ard (from Frankish
hard "brave, hardy"). This was the byname of Robert Guiscard, an 11th-century Norman conqueror of Sicily.
Guiying m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
桂 (guì) meaning "laurel, cassia, cinnamon" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
Hardy 1 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Middle English
hardi "bold, hardy".
Hardy 2 m GermanGerman diminutive of names containing the Germanic element
hard meaning "brave, hardy".
Heard m Anglo-SaxonShort form of various Old English names containing the element
heard meaning
"brave, hardy".
İlker m TurkishMeans
"first man" in Turkish, derived from
ilk "first" and
er "man, brave".
Isamu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勇 (isamu) meaning "brave" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Jiahao m ChineseFrom Chinese
家 (jiā) meaning "home, family" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
Ji-Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Kara 2 m Ottoman TurkishMeans
"black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".
Kendrick m EnglishFrom a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names
Cyneric "royal power" or
Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name
Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Eanraig meaning "son of
Henry".
... [more] Kenelm m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements
cene "bold, keen" and
helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.
Leonard m English, Dutch, German, Polish, Romanian, Ancient GermanicMeans
"brave lion", derived from the Germanic elements
lewo "lion" (of Latin origin) and
hard "brave, hardy". This was the name of a 5th-century Frankish saint from Noblac who is the patron of prisoners and horses. The Normans brought this name to England, where it was used steadily through the Middle Ages, becoming even more common in the 20th century.
Leopold m German, Dutch, English, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, PolishDerived from the Germanic elements
leud "people" and
bald "bold". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin
leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel
Ulysses (1922).
Mayrbek m ChechenDerived from Nakh
майра (mayra) meaning "husband, brave man" combined with the Turkish military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Mert m TurkishMeans
"manly, brave" in Turkish, from Persian
مرد (mard) meaning "man".
Reynard m English (Rare)From the Germanic name
Raginhard, composed of the elements
ragin "advice" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form
Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that
renard has become a French word meaning "fox").
Richard m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Ancient GermanicMeans
"brave ruler", derived from the Germanic elements
ric "ruler, mighty" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade in the 12th century.
... [more] Roland m English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Georgian, Medieval FrenchFrom the Germanic elements
hrod meaning "fame" and
landa meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally
nand meaning "brave". Roland was a semi-legendary French hero whose story is told in the medieval epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of
Charlemagne killed in battle with the Saracens. The Normans introduced this name to England.
Şener m TurkishFrom Turkish
şen meaning "happy" and
er meaning "brave man".
Tahmasp m Ancient PersianPersian form of the Avestan name
Takhmaspa, which was derived from
takhma "strong, brave, valiant" and
aspa "horse". This name was borne by two Safavid shahs of Persia.
Tahmina f Persian Mythology, Tajik, BengaliDerived from Avestan
takhma meaning
"strong, brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero
Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name
Sohrab.
Theobald m English (Rare), Ancient GermanicMeans
"bold people", derived from the Germanic elements
theud "people" and
bald "bold". The Normans brought the name to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. The medieval forms
Tibald and
Tebald were commonly Latinized as
Theobaldus. It was rare by the 20th century.
Wulfnoð m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
wulf "wolf" and
noð "boldness, daring". This name became rare after the Norman Conquest.
Xiuying f ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.
Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. This name was borne by Jang Yeong-sil (where
Jang is the surname), a 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor.
Yeong-Ho m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero",
映 (yeong) meaning "reflect light" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
皓 (ho) meaning "bright, luminous, clear, hoary". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Yeong-Hui f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Yeong-Ja f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well. Feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945). After liberation this name and others like it declined in popularity.
Yeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Yong m & f Chinese, KoreanFrom Chinese
勇 (yǒng) meaning "brave" or
永 (yǒng) meaning "perpetual, eternal". This can also be a single-character Korean name, for example from the hanja
勇 meaning "brave". This name can be formed by other characters besides those listed here.
Yū m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness",
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence",
勇 (yū) meaning "brave", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yūta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness",
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or
勇 (yū) meaning "brave" combined with
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are possible.
Zhihao m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". Many other character combinations are possible.