Thursday, April 5, 2012

Tough Girls' Names

Boys' names with stalwart, warrior-type names are pretty darned common--Ethan ("enduring"), Alexander ("defender of men"), William ("willful protector"), Nicholas ("people's victory")--the list goes on and on. For girls' names, though, most cultures historically have tended towards pretty, poetic, or virtuous names--Sophia ("wisdom"), Elizabeth/Isabella ("God's promise"), Chloe ("green shoot"), Sarah ("princess"), etc.
Trying to find a fighting name for a girl can be tough, unless you want to use a feminization of a boys' name, like Nicole, Alexandria, and Louise ("famous warrior"), or an originally male name, like Riley ("valiant"), Alexis ("defender"), and Aubrey ("elven power").
And before you even look, yes, this is a very Germanic-heavy list.


  • Audrey (AW-dree, English)--"noble strength"
  • Bellatrix (BEL-lah-triks, Latin)--"warrior"
  • Bellona (bel-LOH-nah, Latin)--"fight"
  • Berenice (behr-en-EYE-see, English, or behr-en-EE-cheh, Italian)--from Greek, "bringing victory". Variants include Veronica and Bernice.
  • Boudica (BOH-dih-kah, Celtic)--"victorious"
  • Brava (BRAH-vah, Esperanto)--"valiant"
  • Brenda (BREN-dah, English)--from Old Norse, "sword"
  • Edith (EE-dith, English)--"blessed war"
  • Efigénia (ef-ih-ZHEN-yah, Portuguese)--from Greek, "born strong"
  • Eunice (YOO-nis, English)--from Greek, "good victory"
  • Gertrude (GER-trood, English, or gehr-TROO-deh, German)--"spear of strength"
  • Hilda (HIL-dah, Germanic)--"battle"
  • Hillevi (HIL-eh-vee, Finnish)--from Germanic, "healthy in battle"
  • Jaya (jah-yah, Indian [Hindi])--"victory"
  • Jördis (YOR-dis, German)--from Old Norse, "sword goddess"
  • Katsumi (kaht-soo-mee, Japanese)--"victorious beauty"
  • Koa (koh-ah, Hawaiian)--"brave, bold"
  • Lalama (lah-lah-mah, Hawaiian)--"daring, clever"
  • Lanakila (lah-nah-kee-lah, Hawaiian)--"victorious"
  • Liv (LEEV, Scandinavian)--"protection" [also means "life" in modern Swedish & Danish]
  • Makana (mah-kah-nah, Hawaiian)--"fierce"
  • Matilda (mah-TIL-dah, English, Swedish)--from Germanic, "strength in battle"
  • Móirne (MORN-yeh, Irish)--"great"
  • Nanna (NAHN-nah, Scandinavian)--"daring"
  • Nahoa (nah-hoh-ah, Hawaiian)--"bold, defiant"
  • Nessa (NES-sa, Irish)--"not gentle". Anglicized from Neasa (NYAS-ah).
  • Rhonwen (RHON-wen, Welsh)--"blessed spear"
  • Romilda (roh-MIL-dah, Italian)--from Germanic, "famous battle"
  • Rosamund (ROZ-ah-mund or ROHZ-ah-mund, English)--from Germanic, "horse protection"
  • Roswitha (roz-VEE-thah, German)--"famous strength"
  • Saskia (SAS-kee-ah or ZAHS-kee-ah, German & Dutch)--from Germanic, "knife"
  • Shamira (shah-meer-ah, Hebrew)--"guardian"
  • Shinobu (shin-oh-boo, Japanese)--"endurance"
  • Shun (shoon, Japanese)--"speed"
  • Signy (SIG-nee, Scandinavian)--"new victory"
  • Sigrid (SIG-rid, Scandinavian)--"beautiful victory"
  • Solveig (SOL-vay, Scandinavian)--"strength of the sun"
  • Tisiphone (tih-SIH-foh-nee, Greek"--"avenging murder"
  • Toril (TOR-il, Scandinavian)--"Thor's battle"
  • Tressa (TRES-sah, Irish)--"strength". Anglicized from Treasa/Trása (TRAH-sah).
  • Valda (VAHL-da, Germanic)--"power" 
  • Valencia (vah-LEN-see-ah, Spanish)--from Latin, "power"
  • Venka (VEN-kah, Esperanto)--"victorious"
  • Victoria (vik-TOR-ee-ah, Latin)--"victory"
  • Ylva (EEL-vah, Scandinavian)--from Old Norse, "she-wolf"
  • Yumi (yoo-mee, Japanese)--"[archery] bow"

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