Names that mean brave

This list groups names by the literal gloss at the start of each meaning, not the cultural notes that follow. Closely related meanings are gathered under brave. Tap any name for its story, or grow a tree and see which of them belong in your family.

Veer Sanskrit · brave, courageous

Makoa Hawaiian · brave, fearless

Jabari African · brave, fearless; Swahili

Efe Turkish · brave, strong; also 'big brother, boss'

Hung Vietnamese · heroic, brave

Fernando Spanish · adventurous, brave

Isamu Japanese · courage, vigor

Koa Hawaiian · brave, warrior; native tree

Ferdinand Germanic · adventurous, bold; borne by a former Philippine president

Fernanda Spanish · Spanish feminine form of Ferdinand; the Germanic elements are debated, with boldness only one traditional interpretation

Shaurya Sanskrit · valor, courage

Andreas Greek · manly, brave

Andrew Greek · manly, brave

Andrei Russian · manly, brave

Alp Turkish · hero, brave warrior

Kekoa Hawaiian · the warrior, the brave one

Amaury French · work of power, brave

Wirawan Indonesian · brave, heroic warrior

Ying Cantonese · outstanding, brave (英)

Maynard Germanic · traditionally 'powerful, brave'

Baldur Scandinavian · bold, brave (Norse mythology; son of Odin, god of light)

Yigit Turkish · brave, heroic (Yiğit)

Willard Germanic · resolutely brave

Hardy Germanic · English surname/word name from Germanic, 'bold, brave'

Andrea Greek · brave (from Greek andreios, 'manly, courageous'); a feminine classic across the Spanish-speaking world and one of the Philippines' most beloved girls' names

Bernadette French · brave as a bear

Thura Burmese · hero, brave one, from Pali sura (သူရ); also awarded as a gallantry title in Myanmar

Leopold Germanic · "bold people"

Everette Germanic · brave as a boar

Manveer Punjabi · warrior, brave one, of the heart (man + vir)

Wyatt English · brave in war

Ye Burmese · brave (ရဲ); a name for the eighth day. Burmese astrology splits Wednesday in two, and children born Wednesday afternoon, under Yahu, receive names starting with y or r

Harding English · surname-style, "brave, hardy son" (heard, "hardy, brave")

Richard Germanic · brave ruler

Ricardo Spanish · brave ruler

Andres Spanish · manly, brave (honoring revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio)

Bernard Germanic · brave bear

Leonardo Italian · brave lion (leon 'lion' + hard 'brave, hardy'); Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance polymath, inventor, and artist

Yong Chinese · varies by character: often 勇, 'brave', or 永, 'eternal'; carried by Chinese and Korean American families alike

Gerard French · ger "spear" + hart "hard, firm, brave" (Old German); used as a Haitian given name

Leonard Germanic · Germanic, 'brave lion' or 'lion-strength'

Bima Indonesian · Mahabharata hero embodying strength and courage

Kacey Irish · variant of Casey, from Irish Cathassach, 'vigilant'

Andy Greek · pet form of Andrew, "manly, brave"

Gerhard German · brave spearman

Akindele Yoruba · the brave one arrives home

Andre Greek · French form of Andrew, "manly, brave"

Andi Greek · short form of Andrea, 'manly, brave'

Everett Germanic · from Everard, traditionally "brave as a boar"

Drew English · manly, brave (short form of Andrew); a nod to Charles Drew, physician who pioneered large-scale blood banking and plasma storage

Valencia Spanish · Spanish place name, from Latin 'valentia', meaning 'strength, courage'

Rickey Germanic · nickname for Richard, brave ruler

Kayce Irish · variant of Casey or Case; Casey from Cathassach, 'vigilant'

Archibald Germanic · from Germanic elements meaning 'genuinely bold'

Bernadine Germanic · feminine form of Bernard, 'brave as a bear'

Konrad Germanic · 'bold counsel'

Conrad Germanic · from Old German elements meaning 'brave counsel'

Jakari African American · modern coinage, likely inspired by Jabari, Swahili for 'brave'

Bernardo Portuguese · brave as a bear (Portuguese form of the German Bernhard)

Amanveer Punjabi · brave one of peace (aman + vir)

Gunner Scandinavian · variant spelling of Gunnar, "warrior, bold"

Lenard Germanic · spelling variant of Leonard, from Old German Leonhard, brave lion.

Andriy Ukrainian · Ukrainian form of Andrew: manly, brave

Lonnie Germanic · diminutive of Leonard, 'brave lion'

Kinga Polish · brave warrior woman (from Kunigunde)

Emerie Germanic · modern variant of Emery, from the Germanic Emmerich: 'ruler' is sure, the first element debated (great, vigorous, or home)

Barney Germanic · diminutive of Bernard, 'brave as a bear'

Dickie Germanic · a diminutive nickname of Richard, from Germanic ric, ruler, and hard, brave, strong; part of the medieval rhyming-nickname tradition

Atreus Greek · traditionally 'fearless' (etymology uncertain)

Ricky Germanic · diminutive of Richard, meaning 'brave ruler'

Riccardo Italian · brave ruler (Italian form of Richard)

Kasey Irish · variant spelling of Casey, from Irish Cathasach meaning 'vigilant, brave'

Deandra Modern American · A modern American compound of De- and Andrea, Greek for brave or manly.

Leopoldo Portuguese · bold people (Portuguese form of the German Leopold); the namesake of Sao Leopoldo, RS, Brazil's first official German immigration colony (1824)

Gerardo Germanic · Italian and Spanish form of Gerard (ger "spear" + hart "hard, firm, brave")

Archie Germanic · pet form of Archibald, "genuinely bold"

Everardo Spanish · Spanish form of Everard/Eberhard, Germanic for 'brave as a boar'

Aundrea Modern American · a respelling of Andrea, feminine form of Andrew, from Greek andreios, manly or brave

Ryszard Polish · brave ruler (Polish form of Richard)

Ubaldo Portuguese · bold mind (Portuguese/Italian form of the German Hubald)

Rickie Modern American · a stylized respelling of Ricky, a pet form of Richard, from Germanic elements meaning brave power

Richelle Modern American · A modern feminine coinage from Richard (Germanic ric, ruler, + hard, brave), also echoing Rochelle; not an old French name of its own.

Wole Yoruba · short form of a longer name meaning roughly 'the brave one comes into the house'; famously borne by Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate playwright

Jerry Germanic · diminutive of Gerald (ger "spear" + wald "rule") and Gerard (ger "spear" + hart "hard, brave")

Bernita Germanic · a feminine elaboration of Bernard, from Germanic elements meaning bear and brave, most used in the early 1900s

Curt English · Short form of Curtis (Anglo-Norman, courteous) or a variant of the Germanic Kurt, short for Konrad, bold counsel.

Koen Dutch · Dutch short form of Koenraad/Conrad, 'brave counsel'

Andrzej Polish · manly, brave (Polish form of Andrew). Its name day eve, Andrzejki on November 29, is Poland's night of wax-pouring fortune games, the clearest surviving case of the name-day calendar outranking the birthday; in the US he is usually Andrew on paper and Andrzej at the family table.

Lennie Germanic · pet form of Leonard, traditionally 'brave lion', or of Lena

Hernan Germanic · Spanish short form of Hernando/Fernando, traditionally 'brave voyager'

Which of these fits YOUR family? →