Historical Baby Names and Meanings

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Written by Monica Beyer

Many moms and dads are looking for unique and interesting names. Names from history are a great place to start -- names of those who changed history and our lives as well. We've gone through the pages of history for you and selected the best historical baby names for baby boys and girls!

Sleeping baby Historical names are wonderful for inspiration. Names of great rulers, inventors, writers as well as those whose ideas led to social and political reform make great names for your sons or daughters. There are so many fabulous names from history that we could only scratch the surface, but we found these names interesting and unique and that they would be a great starting point in your quest for the best baby name for your boy or girl.

Historical Baby Names for Boys

Alaric: The name of the Gothic king who plundered Rome in 410 AD, this name means "noble, regal, ruler."

Archer: Meaning "bowman," this can reference the seven Archer brothers of Australia who were explorers and pastoralists.

Augustus: Meaning "great, magnificent," this name was borne by a number of Roman rulers and princely German families.

Brian: A 10th century king of Ireland, he liberated the country from the Danes in 1014.

Burton: African explorer Sir Richard Burton may inspire this name, which means "fortifies settlement."

Cormac: This name, meaning "impure son," was the name of Irish kings.

Cyrus: This Greek name means "lord" and was the name of a ruler who conquered Babylon.

Dante: This name means "lasting, enduring" and was the name of a great poet.

Darius: This name was used by various ancient Persian kings and means "maintains possessions well."

Darwin: Meaning "dear friend," Charles Darwin was a 19th century naturalist and studied human evolution.

Drake: English explorer Sir Francis Drake gives a historical shine on this name, which means "dragon."

Eli: A Hebrew name, this means "high" and was the name of the inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Whitney.

Graham: Meaning "gravel area, gray homestead," this was part of the name of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell.

Henry: Meaning "home ruler," this name reminds us of English explorer Henry Hudson.

Lander: This name, meaning "laundryman, landowner," was the name of Civil War general Frederick W. Lander.

Miles: This name means "soldier" and was the name of the great Pilgrim leader, Miles Standish.

Nelson: This name is a variation of the name Neil and is known for being the name of Admiral Lord Nelson, an English naval hero.

Philo: This unique name is Greek in origin and means "love." This was the name of the inventor of the television, Philo Farnsworth.

You may also like: Top 50 Traditional Boy Names

Historical Names for Girls

Abigail: The name of an influential First Lady, Abigail Adams, this means "father of exaltation."

Alice: Alice Paul was a suffragist leader whose successful campaign led to the passage of the 19th amendment.

Amelia: The name of a famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, this means "industrious, striving."

Annie: This name is shared by the world famous markswoman Annie Oakley.

Asma: This name, meaning "high status," was the name of an important person in the history of Islam -- she was the niece of Muhammad.

Clara: This was the name of the founder of the Red Cross, Clara Barton.

Clelia: This was the name of a maiden from the legendary history of Rome and it means "glorious."

Isadora: Meaning "gift of Isis," this was the name of the inventor of modern dance, Isadora Duncan.

Jenny: This name, a short version of the name Jennifer, was the name of a Swedish international opera star, Jenny Lind.

Laura: This name, meaning "laurel plant," was the name of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Louisa: Meaning "famous warrior," this was the name of seamstress, nurse, servant and famous author Louisa May Alcott.

Lucy: This was the name of the wife of Rutherford B. Hayes. She was the first First Lady to hold a college degree and she was the originator of the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn.

Mae: Mae West was the first to earn a million dollars in the movie business.

Molly: The name of famous Titanic survivor, Molly Brown, this is a version of the name Mary.

Susan: Meaning "lily," this was the name of prominent civil rights leader, Susan B. Anthony.

Victoria: Meaning "victory," this was the name of the first woman to run for President of the United States.

Zora: Meaning "dawn," this name was shared by an important African-American novelist and writer, Zora Neale Hurston.