Top 122 Exciting Ancient Baby Names

Mia Shindler
Feb 16, 2024 By Mia Shindler
Originally Published on Sep 17, 2020
Edited by Isobel Murphy
Ancient cute baby girl smiling
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 8.0 Min



Here at Kidadl, we love the idea of a pretty ancient baby name steeped in fascinating history.

An ancient baby name is sure to stand out, and makes for a meaningful moniker, too. Choosing a baby name for your child is an exciting, and sometimes tricky, process - and there are lots of ancient names to choose from!

Luckily, we're here to help, with some gorgeous name inspiration from the ancient world. Whether you're seeking a classic biblical name, a beautiful ancient Greek or Roman name, or a lovely Old Norse name, we have all the best ancient baby names for you to choose from.

Check out this list of the top 122 ancient baby names, hopefully you will find the perfect option for your baby.

Did You Know? The oldest ever name in the world is Kushim! Currently, the two rarest names in the United Kingdom are Aubriella for a girl, and Arco for a boy.

Latin/Roman Names For Girls

Pretty newborn sleeping baby girl isolated on cream colour background

These Roman girls' names, inspired by Roman goddesses as well as popular Roman names, are the perfect unique choices for your daughter.

1. Allegra meaning "joy".

2. April meaning "fourth month".

3. Aquilia meaning "eagle", also the name of the wife of the Roman Emperor Elagabalus.

4. Aurelia meaning "golden".

5. Cadence meaning "flow, rhythm".

6. Camilla meaning "young".

7. Celeste meaning "heavenly".

8. Emilia meaning "to excel, to rival".

9. Felicia meaning "lucky".

10. Flavia meaning "golden haired", derived from the surname Flavius, which belonged to an ancient Roman family.

11. Flora meaning "flower", the Roman goddess of spring and flowers.

12. Hortensia meaning "garden".

13. Julia meaning "youthful", derived from the Roman surname Julius.

14. Letitia meaning "joy".

15. Nerilla meaning "independence, ambition".

16. Octavia meaning "eighth child", often used in the Roman imperial family.

17. Olivia meaning "olive tree".

18. Portia meaning "offering".

19. Regina meaning "queen".

20. Victoria meaning "victory", the Roman goddess of victory.

Latin/Roman Baby Names For Boys

Take a look at these cool Roman names for boys, inspired by the exciting world of ancient Rome.

21. Amias meaning "loved".

22. Anthony meaning "priceless one", from the surname of a powerful Roman family.

23. Augustus meaning "magnificent", a name given to the first Roman emperor following the fall of the Roman Republic.

24. Caesar meaning "long haired", a Roman family name, most famously associated with Roman leader Julius Caesar.

25. Constantine meaning "loyal", the name of multiple emperors of Rome and Byzantium, notably the name of the first Roman emperor to introduce Christianity as Rome's official religion.

26. Felix meaning "lucky".

27. Leo meaning "lion".

28. Lucius meaning "light".

29. Marcus meaning "warlike", a reference to Mars, the Roman deity of war.

30. Maximilian meaning "the greatest", an ancient Roman surname.

31. Prosper meaning "fortune".

32. Scorpius meaning "scorpion", after the constellation and zodiac sign Scorpio.

33. Sebastian meaning "venerable".

34. Quintus meaning "fifth", a popular Roman name.

35. Rufus meaning "red haired".

Ancient Egyptian Names For Girls

These ancient baby girl names inspired by the goddesses of Ancient Egypt are unique options for parents seeking a beautiful and striking name for their baby girl.

36. Auset, the name of a powerful ancient deity and the wife of Osiris in mythology.

37. Keket, an ancient deity of darkness.

38. Maat, meaning "justice, morality", ancient deity and personification of the concept of justice.

39. Naunet, an ancient deity of the ocean.

40. Neith meaning "divine mother" or "water", an ancient goddess of war, women, hunting and weaving.

41. Nenet, goddess of depth.

42. Renenet, an ancient deity of fortune.

43. Tauret, an ancient goddess of pregnancy.

Baby Boy Names From Ancient Egypt

These ancient baby boy names from ancient Egypt are wonderful choices for parents seeking a majestic name with lots of historical meaning behind it.

44. Amun meaning "hidden one", a powerful deity of the sun and fertility in ancient Egypt.

45. Geb, an ancient deity of the earth.

46. Heka meaning "magic", ancient deity of medicine and magic in ancient Egypt.

47. Osiris meaning "powerful" or "strong eyesight", god of the underworld in ancient Egypt.

48. Ra meaning "day" or "sun", a sun deity in ancient Egypt.

Old Norse Names For Baby Girls

Why not choose one of these sweet ancient Norse names for girls?

49. Eisa meaning "glowing embers".

50. Eir meaning "peace, mercy", the Norse deity of medicine and healing.

51. Eydis meaning "island goddess".

52. Finna meaning "wanderer".

53. Freya meaning "noble woman", the Norse deity of beauty, fertility, love, fate, death and war.

54. Frida meaning "beautiful".

55. Gefion meaning "giver", the Norse deity of farming and fertility.

56. Helga meaning "holy".

57. Hilda meaning "battle".

58. Idun meaning "rejuvenator", the deity of youth in Norse mythology.

59. Laga, a Norse deity of springs and wells

60. Sif meaning "wife", a deity of the earth who was married to Thor in Norse mythology.

61. Verdandi meaning "present", one of three Norse goddesses of destiny.

Old Norse Baby Names For Boys

Check out this list of adorable Norse names for boys. Parents everywhere are sure to love these unique, meaningful and adorable baby names.

62. Bragi meaning "poetry" or "first", the deity of poetry in Norse mythology.

63. Brandr meaning "fire", "sword", "firebrand" or "to flash".

64. Dag meaning "day" or "daylight", from Dagr, the Norse deity of light and personification of day.

65. Eric meaning "ruler forever".

66. Ingolf meaning "wolf".

67. Loki meaning "airy" or "lock", the Norse god of mischief.

68. Mimir meaning "wise, he who remembers", a figure renowned for his wisdom in Norse mythology.

69. Odin meaning "frenzy, rage", an important Norse deity of war and wisdom.

70. Orvar meaning "arrow".

71. Stig meaning "wanderer".

72. Thor meaning "thunder", the Norse deity of thunder.

73. Tyr meaning "God", a Norse deity of justice and war.

Old Biblical Names For Girls

Why not take a look at these ancient names for girls, derived from the Bible? These beautiful and bold biblical names are the perfect picks for parents who want a classic name for their daughter.

74. Abigail meaning "joy of the father", the wife of King David in the Old Testament.

75. Ariel meaning "lion of God", also a biblical name for Jerusalem.

76. Deborah meaning "bee", the only female judge of Israel in the Bible and a prophetess.

77. Delilah meaning "delicate", mistress of Samson in the Bible.

78. Eve meaning "living", the first woman in the Bible.

79. Hannah meaning "grace", the mother of Samuel, an Old Testament prophet.

80. Leah meaning "weary" or wild cow", Jacob's first wife in the Bible.

81. Miriam meaning "of the sea", the older sister of Moses in the Old Testament.

82.Rachel meaning "ewe", Jacob's second wife and Leah's sister in the Bible.

83. Rebecca meaning "bound" or "servant of God", Isaac's wife in the Bible.

84. Sarah meaning "princess", wife of Abraham.

85. Sarai meaning "my princess", derived from Sarah.

86. Tamar meaning "date palm", a wife of Judah in the Old Testament, also the name of a daughter of King David.

87. Zipporah meaning "bird", a wife of Moses.

Old Biblical Boy Names

These biblical boy names are of Hebrew origin, and are timeless yet striking.

88. Aaron meaning "strong", the older brother of Moses in the Old Testament.

89. Benjamin meaning "son of the right hand", a son of Jacob.

90. Ezekiel meaning "God strengthens", an ancient biblical prophet.

91. Gabriel meaning "God strengthens", an archangel in the Bible.

92. Isaac meaning "he laughs", an important figure in the Old Testament.

93. Ithai meaning "with me", a powerful warrior in the Old Testament.

94. Jacob meaning "to supplant", an important Old Testament figure and son of Isaac.

95. Jeremiah meaning "God will exalt", a biblical prophet and writer.

96. Joseph meaning "he will add", important figure and son of Jacob in the Old Testament.

97. Judah meaning "praise", a son of Jacob and Leah.

98. Noah meaning "rest, peace",  an important figure in the Old Testament.

99. Reuben meaning "behold, a son", son of Jacob in the Old Testament.

100. Saul meaning "prayed for", the first King of Israel in the Old Testament.

Sanskrit Baby Names For Girls

These lovely names are perfect choices for parents seeking an ancient name for their baby girl.

101. Chandrika meaning "moonlight".

102. Esha meaning "wish, desire".

103. Lavani meaning "beauty, grace", also a music genre in India.

104. Nalika meaning "lotus stem".

105. Nalini meaning "lotus flower".

106. Yamini meaning "night".

Sanskrit Baby Names For Boys

Check out this great list of wonderful ancient names for boys.

107. Arit meaning "praised".

108. Bhavin meaning "living".

109. Ekaveer meaning "bravest of the brave".

110. Hardik meaning "from the heart".

111. Jaivant meaning "victory, victorious".

112. Naman meaning "salutations".

113. Oman meaning "protector, friend", or "giver of life".

Ancient Greek Names

These gorgeous ancient Greek names are ideal for any child.

114. Achilles (male) meaning "pain", a powerful warrior and hero in Greek mythology.

115. Daphne (female) meaning "laurel", a nymph of springs and streams in Greek mythology.

116. Hermes (male) meaning "boundary marker" or "messenger", the messenger god in Greek mythology.

117. Metis (female) meaning "resourceful", a Titan goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology.

118. Thalia (female), a goddess in Greek mythology, the muse of comedy.

For our favourite Greek names, check out our article on Greek girls' names, and our article on the best Greek boys' names.

Aztec Names

These names inspired by the Aztecs are adorable name options for any baby.

119. Atzi (female) meaning "rain".

120. Camaxtli (male), an ancient deity of hunting.

121. Ohtli (unisex) meaning "road".

122. Tozi (female), an ancient deity of healing.

Why not check out this list of our favourite names derived from the Aztecs for even more name inspiration?

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Written by Mia Shindler

Bachelor of Arts specializing in History

Mia Shindler picture

Mia ShindlerBachelor of Arts specializing in History

Originally from London, Mia has a Bachelor's degree in History from Durham University and loves to explore the city's museums and historical landmarks with her family and younger siblings. As a child, she was an avid reader of historical mysteries, particularly the 'Lady Grace Mysteries' by Patricia Finney. In her free time, Mia enjoys discovering new restaurants, theaters, and parks in the city, always on the lookout for exciting things to do.

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