Image via Wikipedia

Thanks to Jennifer for suggesting Reynard as our Baby Name of the Day.

If you’re sure and certain that renard is French for fox, well, that’s true.  But lest you dismiss Reynard as a cousin for Ciel and other foreign word nature names, have I got a story for you.

Back in the day, the French word for fox was goupil.  Except foxes were a big hassle for farmers.  Just saying goupil was considered bad luck – an invitation for the pesky creatures to shop your livestock.

Reynard started out as an unrelated given name.  He comes from Germanic elements, but there’s some debate about his precise origins.  You’ll find meanings ranging from advice/counsel and strength to clever and resourceful.

Regardless of his meaning, at some point before the twelfth century, Reynard became the name of a popular figure in folklore – a crafty fox.

In one early story, the fox is summoned to the court of King Leo, the lion, to answer charges pressed by Ysengrin, the wolf.  Another has Reynard faking his own death and taking revenge on the enemies who attend his funeral.  The stories are thinly veiled commentaries on contemporary society.  Reynard’s role is that of the hero, and the common man.

He’s recorded in Latin, German, and French in the twelfth century, in Alsace, Paris, and Ghent, among other places.  But none of them seems to be new; instead, they’re all written versions of an oral tradition that is almost certainly older.

By the thirteenth century, the re-telling of Reynard’s adventures became so well-known that the French word for fox changed entirely, from goupil to renard.

We’ve been adapting and re-telling Reynard’s story along the way, in a nineteenth century novel and 1980s pop music.  He appeared in beverage advertisements in the 1920s and in a modern art installation in a park in Amsterdam just recently.

But the most astounding re-use of Reynard is downright ugly.  In 1937, an anti-Semitic children’s story was published in Dutch, adding a Jewish rhinoceros to the cast of characters.  Reynard kills all of the rhinos.  It was published as a book and made into a movie – a sinister re-use of a folk hero.

Reynardine sounds like a feminine form, but instead it is the title of an English or Irish ballad, one printed in the early part of the nineteenth century, and known throughout the US, too.  The name changes dramatically – he’s Randal in some places.  And while he isn’t an actual fox, he’s a seducer of innocent young women with teeth that “brightly shine.”

Despite the folk tale’s enduring qualities, Reynard has seen little use as a given name.  The Normans brought him to England, but he never really caught on.  He’s more often seen as a surname – almost certainly related to the animal name, a nod to an ancestor considered cunning.

While Bernard and the regal Richard are out of favor these days, Ray is ahead of the curve.  This makes Reynard a mixed set – his first syllable sounds trend-setting; his second, not ready for revival.  Still, he’d easily shorten to Rey, an appealing appellation.

She’s a single-syllable name borrowed from mythology, with a definite edge.

Thanks to Amanda for suggesting Nyx as our Baby Name of the Day.

In Greek mythology, Nyx – night – is the child of Chaos, though Chaos is more of a state than a person.  Chaos literally means abyss, emptiness.  (We’d layer on the meaning of confusion centuries later.)

Chaos also gives rise to Erebus - shadows.  Sometimes with Erebus, and more often without, Nyx is the mother of day, sleep, death, dreams, prudence, doom, strife, friendship, deception, the Fates, and occasionally the Hesperides, among others.

Most of these figures are, like Nyx herself, minor deities and rarely seen.  When she is pictured, Nyx is usually a dark-haired stunner, a lovely woman.

(Incidentally, the image above is borrowed from a tenth century illuminated manuscript, created during a high point in Byzantine arts and culture.  It fascinates me because the gods of antiquity are pictured with Christian saints.  In this case, Nyx stands with the prophet Isaiah.)

Nyx is also a poetic word for night itself.  The modern world has borrowed her for any number of uses, most with a dark and shadowy vibe.  She appears as a cornerstone of vampire religion in the House of Night series – young adult novels about a boarding school for bloodsuckers.

There’s also a comic book character, a sidekick of Spawn, known as Nyx – though her birth name was Carrie Ann.

While they’re not related, there are also water sprites in Germanic folklore called nixies, nix, or nixe.  With Lorelei attracting so much attention, can other mermaid names make waves?  Figures from myth and folklore have been a great well of inspiration for modern parents, especially those seeking to find names that are little worn but aren’t invented.

But Nyx has another strength – her sound.

• She’s close to Nicole – a mom name these days.  Add in Nicholas and all of their various variant forms, and Nyx could be an offbeat way to honor a loved one.
• It is tempting to think of Nicks – as in American singer Stevie and English shopping staple Harvey.  Both associations have some appeal.
• Other short ends-in-x names, like the Jolie-Pitt’s Pax and Knox, are quite stylish.  While they tend to be masculine, that’s not exclusively true.  Lux - of The Virgin Suicides and Life Unexpected – has been worn by girls.

As for her meaning, while she leans a bit Goth in pop culture, the same could be said of many names that mean night – think of Layla – and that hasn’t necessarily hurt them.  Add in names that refer to the night sky, whether they are stars, moons or constellations, and suddenly the list is chock full of fashionable choices.

Nyx is also a mountain on Venus, an asteroid, and a moon of Pluto, though the last one is spelled Nix.  All three honor the original Greek goddess.

This would be a daring choice for a daughter.  Still she’s not so different from the familiar Nicole, and she’s short and easy to spell – both qualities that temper her extreme qualities.  And, of course, Nicky is an incognito nickname possibility.  In the middle spot, she’d be a real find.

The lady-like Irene has a tailored, retro flair.  But how about this version, closer to the original goddess?

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting Eirene as our Baby Name of the Day.

First things first: Eirene doesn’t sound like Irene.  Depending on who you ask, she’s either eye REE nee or eh REH neh or somewhere in between.  I’m partial to eye REH nee, but let’s face it – I’m just picking and choosing.  What’s clear is that Eirene is slightly different from Irene, and I think the changed first letter, combined with our general unfamiliarity with Irene as a child’s name, gives this Greek goddess a window for consideration.

After all, Phoebe and Penelope and Daphne and lots of other appellations with mythological origins are in vogue at the moment, and ends-in-e for girls has been big, from Zoe to Chloe, in the twenty-first century.

There are actually two goddesses in the pantheon.  The first is the Greek personification of peace.  Her Roman equivalent is Pax.  She’s one of The Hours, charged with all sorts of tasks.  Eirene and her sisters guard gates, usher in the seasons, and generally keep order over the natural world.  There’s more than one trio, actually – sisters Thallo, Carpo, and Auxo are associated with the seasons, while Eunomia, Eirene, and Dike dealt with order, peace, and justice.

My favorite image of Eirene is the one above.  That tot in her arms is Demeter’s kiddo, the infant Ploutus - plenty.  The harvest goddess might be the mother of abundance, but peace is his baby-sitter.  Poetic, don’t you think?

There’s a second use of the name, for one of Poseidon’s daughters.  The Greek island of Kalaureia was once known as Eirene, back several centuries BC.  A major temple to Poseidon once stood on the island.

The name was in some use in the ancient world.  Three early Christian saints, and an artist wore the name, plus a character on the BBC/HBO series Rome included a minor character called Eirene.

So if all we had to go on was the goddess name, Eirene would be a shoe-in for an obscurity that could suit daring baby namers.  The trouble is, of course, that the simplified Irene was a hit in the 1910s and 1920s.  As the hundred-year rule suggests, she’s starting to feel fresh again, boosted by the adventurous Irene Adler in the Sherlock Holmes franchise.  Nameberry put Irene on their Headed for Harvard list, along with other brainy appellations like Beatrice and Portia.

That complication aside, Eirene has an awful lot of energy.  The Slavic Irina is slightly more elegant, and Irene has a sepia-toned throwback quality that appeals.  The modern Greek Irini is intriguing, too.  But with three syllable names like Penelope and Eleni being considered by parents, maybe Eirene has enough oomph to step out of her younger sister’s shadow.

He’s a saintly Irish appellation and a sci fi warrior.

Thanks to Violet for suggesting Conan as our Baby Name of the Day.

It is tempting to add “the Barbarian” to this name auotmatically, but Conan has oodles of history before he was re-invented by a 1930s writer.

In Old Irish, cú referred to a dog or maybe a wolf.  The -an is that ever familiar diminutive form, so Conan is a pup or a little wolf.  Animal names have a long history of use, making Conan pretty ordinary.

Except the first Conan was extraordinary – a semi-legendary figure who gets credit for founding Brittany.  Geoffrey of Monmouth references him, but he’s not the only source.  Several Breton families trace their roots to Conan, including the powerful Rohan family.  He also features in medieval politics, as a claim to such an ancient ruler would’ve helped with machinations as leaders tried to claim rights to various thrones.

There’s also a warrior in Irish myth called Conan mac Morna, a friend and ally of Finn McCool.

Then along came:

• Saint Conan, an Irish missionary and early Bishop of the Isle of Man from the sixth century or so.  At least two other minor saints share the name.
• In the tenth century, Conan became Count of Rennes and later Duke of Brittany.  At least three of his descendants wore name into the 12th century.

This takes us into the modern era.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is remembered as the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, another enduring character.  Conan is sometimes mistaken as part of his surname – Conan Doyle – but it appears to be one of his three given names, Arthur Ignatius Conan, and a nod to his godfather’s surname.

Then in the 1930s everything changed.  Robert E. Howard invented the character Conan the Cimmerian, a hero from a fictional world not unlike ours, but rich with magic.  Conan had strength aplenty, brains, and a serious way with the sword.  He started out in pulp fiction.  After Howard’s death others wrote Conan tales, and over the years the character appeared in books, comics, video games, television series, and, of course, movies.

The big moment for Conan was 1982, when the future governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, starred in the title role.  Conan the Barbarian was a hit, combining elements from different Conan tales.  A 1984 sequel followed, and a trilogy planned, but the third movie was never made.  In 2011, Jason Momoa hefted the sword as a new Conan, but the reboot was not successful.

The very Irish Conan O’Brien emerged in the same time, helping return the name to its roots.  The Harvard alum worked as a writer for Saturday Night Light and The Simpsons before getting his first late night talk show in 1993.  He’s been on television ever since, with the exception of a contract dispute with NBC for a few months.  Unlike many a high-profile controversy, the comedian came away with his integrity intact, and proof of a devoted fan base.  O’Brien can now be seen on TBS.

Overall, this makes Conan a weirdly perfect name.  He’s never been in the US Top 1000, even as Irish names from Ryan to Aidan have caught fire.  Conan is familiar to all and easy to spell.  He’ll fit with aggressive boy names like Slade and Cannon, but he also blends in with literary, legendary picks like Arthur.  If you can live with the occasional question about whether you’re big fans of the Governator, this might be one to short list for a son.

e54 by TooFarNorth via Flickr

She’s an Arthurian appellation big with Baby Boomers, but she could feel surprisingly current today.

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting Elaine as our Baby Name of the Day.

Elaine was a rising star in the 1920s, peaked in the 1940s, and stayed in the Top 100 through 1957.  Today she’s fallen to a chilly #799.

She’s usually explained as a French version of Helen,   Some theorize other origins, like elain, the Welsh word for fawn.

She appears in several Arthurian tales, including:

• The Lady of Shallott is probably the most famous thanks to a Tennyson poem.
• Speaking of Lancelot, his mom was also named Elaine.
• Then there’s an Elaine that does catch the eye of Lancelot.  Together, they are the parents of Sir Galahad.
• King Arthur has a half-sister called Elaine.
• That half-sister passed the name on to her daughter, Elaine the Younger.

There are a few others, too.  Depending on which telling you’re reading, some of these characters might answer to slightly different names.  But overall, there is no denying that Elaine comes to us from myth and legend.

Her big moment came from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King.  The poet had touched on her story earlier,  It goes something like this: Lancelot and Guinevere have fallen in love, but she’s the queen, married to King Arthur and she tells him they have to be cautious.  Determined to impress his beloved, Lancelot shows up at a tournament disguised as the Lord of Astolat.  Astolat isn’t there, but his daughter is, and she falls head over heels for the imposter.  He’s taken, of course, and Elaine dies of heartbreak.  Her dying note is read aloud at court, reducing everyone to tears.

The tragic heroine’s name is barely present in the US Top 1000 before 1889.  Idylls was published between 1856 and 1885, and by the twentieth century, Elaine was on her way up, boosted by:

• 1914′s The Exploits of Elaine, a tale of a young woman who hunts down the man who murdered her father.  It was a follow-up to the successful Perils of Pauline.
• In the 1944 hit movie Arsenic and Old Lace, Cary Grant’s character is planning to elope with the girl next door, only his sweetly murderous aunts keep getting in the way of his romance with the lovely Elaine Harper.  The movie was based on an equally successful play, again, with the sweetheart answering to Elaine.
• JD Salinger published a short story titled “Elaine” in 1945.  Salinger was quite the namer – don’t forget he used Esme decades before Stephenie Meyer.  Salinger’s Elaine is growing up in the Bronx, but seems unfazed by the sordidness of her surroundings.
• We all know the famous scene from The Graduate between young Ben and the original cougar, Mrs. Robinson.  But have you seen the ending?  Ben runs off with the Robinsons’ daughter, Elaine.
• Remember the Billy Joel song “Big Shot” from 1978?  He referred to Elaine’s, a restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, fashionable from the 1960s into recent years, a place where you might spot Woody Allen or other luminaries.  Elaine Kaufman was the woman behind the eatery.

Today’s generation of parents probably think of Lady Elaine on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, or more likely, Elaine from Seinfeld.

None of this makes Elaine prime for a comeback, but here’s something that does: the rise of the short form Laney or Lainey or Lainie.  Some parents are opting for Delaney, or Alaina, or Elaina, but there’s a simple elegance to Elaine.  If you’re looking for a trend-proof name that your child will still enjoy wearing, Elaine might be exactly the thing.

Maia, in the Pleiades star cluster; Image via Wikipedia

She’s only been in the US Top 1000 for a little over forty years, but she feels like a classic.

Inca period tunic; Image via Wikipedia

He’s a legendary poet, a ruler, a revolutionary.

Thanks to Frank for suggesting one of the names that inspired his new son’s names.  Our Baby Name of the Day is Amaru.

Amaru instantly makes me think 2Pac – the rapper-turned-actor whose 1996 murder remains unsolved.  But Tupac Amaru Shakur – his mother was an 1960s and 1970s activist and member of the Black Panther Party – was named after the historical figures.

But first came the poet, sometime in the seventh or eighth century.  His Hundred Stanzas, the Amarusataka, are considered a triumph of Sanskrit literature.  Amaru wrote about passion and love, longing and sorrow.

The meaning typically given for Amaru is immortal.  In Sanskrit, amare means without death, so that appears to be accurate.

But there’s another figure, two men, actually, who share the same name.

First came Tupac Amaru, the sixteenth century leader of the Inca state in Peru.  The Spanish conquered the Inca Empire in the 1530s, but some members of the royal family established a stronghold in the Upper Amazon.  After several of his kinsmen died, Tupac Amaru inherited the throne.

Things went sour almost immediately.  Two Spanish ambassadors were killed, and the Spanish Viceroy declared war.  Outarmed and outmanned, Tupac Amaru and his followers sought refuge in the jungle.  He was eventually captured and ordered executed.  It is an order that remains controversial – a Spanish governor ordering the death of a head of state, formerly acknowledged by the authorities.  It is said that Tupac Amaru’s last words were “Mother Earth, witness how my enemies shed my blood.”

There were still plenty of members of the Inca royal family scattered about.  Some were banished to other Spanish colonies, but they survived.  Then along came José Gabriel Condorcanqui, a descendant of the last Inca rule.  He styled himself Tupac Amaru II and led a 1780 uprising against the Spanish.  His rebellion failed, and he met his death by execution a year later, but he became a legendary figure in both the Peruvian struggle for independence, and the movement to grant rights to indigenous peoples.

He’s clearly the Tupac Amaru to inspire others to embrace the names,  but what does Amaru mean?  A few possibilities:

• A few sources suggest that Amaru means strong in the Aymara language.  Along with Quechua, Aymara is one of the native languages of Peru, so that isn’t implausible, but I couldn’t confirm it in a dictionary.
• Most sources seem to link Amaru to a Quechua word for serpent or snake.  Tupac Amaru together is often translated as “royal serpent.”
• It is easy to see a similarity to the Latin amor - love – though it is a coincidence.

All of the meanings are pleasing in their own ways and he’s distinctive without being bizarre.  Two dozen boys received the name in 2010, and I can imagine more in years to come.

I like Amaru, with his upbeat sound.  His Indian-Incan legacy makes him especially appropriate for parents seeking name that span cultural identities.  And his connection to 2Pac?  That makes him more familiar, even if you might struggle to answer “Oh, like the rapper?” in playgroup.

Image by violscraper via Flickr

Are you watching Once Upon a Time?  How ’bout Grimm?  Fairy tale figures are the new vampires on the small screen this season – romantic, full of possibilities, seen on multiple networks.

One thing that strikes me about the shows so far is that the names are … fine.  They’re good names, appropriate for the plot lines.  If you were the Evil Queen’s alter ego, living in Storybook, Maine, it seems sensible that your name would be Regina.

But they’re not exciting names, and if we’ve learned anying from Disney it should be this: naming a princess is a huge opportunity.  So here’s my list of names for a possible fairy tale princess.  Most of them have yet to don a glass slipper or sing with animated birds in the forest, but I think any of them would be smashing choices for a fictional maiden of the royal variety.

Belsante - A medieval variant of Elizabeth and Isabella, Belsante is right at home with Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, but her more elaborate form feels regal and throwback.  Along the same lines, Isabeau seems like a name I’d expect to find in a medieval woodcut illustration.

Briar- Before Disney dubbed Sleeping Beauty Aurora, she often answered to Briar Rose in tellings of her tale.  Briar has that edgy, modern feel of unexpected nature names like Winter or Bay, but her long history of use in stories argues that she’s no nouveau pick.

Clarimond - Her first syllable probably comes from the Latin clarus, clear.  Since fairy tale princesses are always noble and clear of purpose, any name related to Claire and company feels like a good fit.

Image via Wikipedia

Dulcinea - Don Quixote’s fictional maiden fair, derived from the Spanish dulce - sweet.  Similar names were in use in medieval England, and 90s indie rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket gave the name to their hit 1994 album.  She’d be a logical pick for a princess.  A similar sounding option is the ancient Drusilla, but since she’s been worn by a villainous vampiress in Joss Whedon’s universe, it seemed taken.

Everild – The Latin version of a name worn by a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon saint, also written as Everilda and Averil.  If you’re anticipating a happy ending, what’s better than having the word “ever” in your given name?

Ghislaine – The masculine form of this name was born by another seventh-century saint.  Ghislaine shares the same roots as Giselle, worn by Amy Adams in Happily Ever After.  The pronunciation would be something like jheez LANE – tough, but in our era of Genevieve, not unthinkable.  Another G-name that comes to mind?  The saintly Godlieve.

Jessamy - Jasmine found a whole new world with Aladdin.  Why not this more elaborate variant form?  It sounds both modern and old school at once, as does related name Jessamine.

Katrin - Not every fairy tale name is frilly, and this Northern European short form of Katherine feels like one you’d find in a Swedish fairy tale.  The elaboration  Katrinka also feels at home in an other-worldly story.

Svetlana - Only for a Slavic character, of course, but there’s no shortage of those.  Like a few other names on this list, she’s a relatively modern innovation, coined for an 1813 poem.  But her meaning – from svet, light – is princess-perfect.

Thalassa – She’s the tiniest bit on the clunky side, suggesting that she might be for the evil stepsister or faithful servant instead of the romantic lead.  But she’s also a primordial Greek goddess of the oceans, making her every bit as seaworthy as the red-headed Ariel.

Tourmaline  - Most gemstone names are fairly mainstream, from Ruby to Pearl.  But Tourmaline – first brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company – is seldom heard.  She’s also challenging because the word wasn’t used in English until the mid-1700s, so she’s not quite right for a story with roots in the Middle Ages.

Vivienne – One of the Jolie-Pitt twins and a name sometimes used in Arthurian legend for the Lady of the Lake, Vivienne is probably the most popular name on this list.  But there’s something powerful about names derived from the Latin vivus – alive.

Those are my dozen picks for a princess.  What would you name a fictional character destined for a crown?  And do any of these work for a real girl, too?

Evander Holyfield; Image by cliff1066™ via Flickr

Evan and Alexander have been popular for years.  Why not this choice?

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting the winning Evander as our Baby Name of the Day.

Evander isn’t related to Evan.  Evan is yet another international variant of the evergreen John, this time of the Welsh variety.

Evander and Alexander, on the other hand, share roots.  Eunadros comes from eu - good – and andros – man.

In ancient myth, Euandros was a good guy, a Greek hero who founded a settlement near what would eventually become Rome.  Evander hailed from Arcadia.  Depending on who you ask, his dad was the messenger god Hermes or Mercury, or possibly just a regular ol’ king.  Regardless, the son did pretty well for himself – not only did he found a new city, he also introduced the Greek alphabet, their system of laws and justice, and their gods to the future seat of the Roman Empire.  He also features in the events of the Trojan War.

Other Evanders were plentiful, including a scholar from Athens and another in Crete. Little wonder the creators of HBO/BBC original series Rome picked it up as a character name.

Plenty of choices from the glory days of Greece and Rome have endured.  Homer, Virgil  and others were big from Colonial America into the early twentieth century, so it is no surprise to find Evander amongst early US Census results.

He may also have been an English equivalent of Iomhar, a Scottish version of the Old Norse Ivarr.  That seems like a long shot – after all, McIver and McIvor persist as Scottish surnames and Ivor and Ivar have long histories of use.  So let’s say Evander is not exactly a Scottish heritage choice, but you might find him floating around in your family tree.  Evander McIver Law was a Confederate general during the Civil War.

If Evander is related to Ivarr, then he is also tied to the stylish Archer.  Ivarr’s arr signifies a warrior; the first element suggests a bow.

The name appeared in the US Top 1000 just once, back in 1895, but he was in use throughout the nineteenth century.

Then came Evander Holyfield, a former heavyweight world champ, as well as an Olympic medalist.  Despite strings of notable victories, he is perhaps best known as the victim of fellow boxer Mike Tyson’s bizarre ear-biting rage incident in 1997.

Others who answer to the name include:

• The NHL’s Evander Kane, currently with the Winnipeg Jets;
• Dutch footballer Evander Sno.

With Evan currently at #36, and a Top 100 pick since the 1980s, and Alexander at #6, and a Top 100 name since the 1970s, you would almost certainly expect parents to land on Evander as something different, but instantly familiar.

Instead, he remains obscure.  Perhaps Holyfield’s notoriety gives parents pause.  Or maybe those who embrace unusual names dislike his common short form, Evan, though Van could be an alternative.

All of this opens the door wide.  Evander feels familiar and not too outlandish, and yet he is far less common than supposedly different choices, like Ryder or Weston, Justice or Jax.  That’s a powerful combination!

King Leonidas I; Image via Wikipedia

After decades of obscurity, Leo is roaring once more.  Here’s a formal option that adds even more history to the proud name.

Thanks to Annabel for suggesting Leonidas as our Baby Name of the Day.

The Battle of Thermopylae looms large in popular culture.  Even those who know little about the ancient world likely recognize the outline of the story: a tiny army, spectacularly outnumbered, attempting to hold their most critical position despite almost inevitable defeat.  The 300 Spartans held off the invading Spartan army for three days in 480 BC.

While Thermopylae has been referenced in poetry, literature, music, and film ever since the battle ended, it was a defeat for the Greeks – the Persian army won, and every one of the Spartan soldiers lost his life, including their commander.

Which brings us to today’s name: Leonidas, as in the fearless warrior king who led his troops to attempt to hold the mountain pass.  Because Leonidas was a younger son, he had military training that not all rulers receive; when he succeeded his older brothers, it meant that he was prepared to lead his country on the battlefield.

A quick word about numbers: popular imagination tells us that 300 Spartans held the pass against two million invading Persians.  The truth isn’t that dramatic.  The Spartan force included other Greeks and their allies – perhaps as many as 7,000, and the Persian force was likely under 200,000.  Those are still overwhelming odds, and much of the Greek force was dismissed before the fighting accelerated.

Leonidas has been held up as a self-sacrificing hero ever since.  Frank Miller told the story in a 1998 comic book called 300; Gerard Butler played Leonidas in the big screen adaptation in 2007.  It has introduced the name to a new generation of parents.

The name appears to have been fairly common over the centuries in the ancient world.  Saint Leonides of Alexandria is among several figures in the early church.  Leonides was martyred in the year 202; his son, Origen, went on to become one of the most important Christian theologians of his era.

In Russian, he’s Leonid.  Variants of the name appear in other languages, too.

There’s much to recommend Leonidas.  Like Leo, he’s from the word for lion.  If you’re seeking a longer form of the name for the birth certificate, you have options, including:

• The artistic Leonardo, a name that many associate with the actor;
• Leon and Leonard, names that have not quite shed their fusty reputations;
• Lionel, a name that feels a little more fresh;
• Leopold, Levon, and even Galileo are also options.

As a given name, he’s always been rare, ranking #927 in 2010, compared to Leo’s #193.

But Leonidas has a special status.  Because he’s an aggressive, uber-masculine military figure, he’s likely to appeal to parents who might embrace choices like Cannon and Gunner.  It sets him up as a great compromise play.  If you like Otto, Simon, and Henry, but your other half fears they’ll set your son up for schoolyard bullying, Leonidas might be tough enough to sidestep those objections.  The friendly Leo is perfectly current and wearable, while the classic Spartan ruler lends the name some serious bravery.