Naamah

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Biblical / Hebrew

Meaning: “pleasant, sweet, delightful, beautiful.”

Pronunciation: (NAY-ah-mah)

Nicknames: Nay, Naa, Nomi, Gnomes

Detail: The name Naamah comes from (naem) meaning be pleasant, sweet, delightful, beautiful. Derivatives are (noam), pleasantness, beauty; (naim), pleasant, sweet; (naaman), pleasantness; and (manammim), delicacies.

Could make a good alternative to the increasing in popularity Naomi, and with Noah also high in the charts, this name is on the good side of unusual.

Rubeus

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Latin

Meaning: “Red.”

Pronunciation: (roo-BAY-us); (ROO-bee-us)

Nicknames: Ru

Detail: Derived from the Latin word ruber.

Rubeus Hagrid is a character in the Harry Potter books.

“Hagrid”, according to Rowling in an interview, comes from the word “hagridden”, meaning to have a nightmarish night, particularly when hung over.

Sigurd

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Norse

Meaning: “Protector of victory.”

Pronunciation: (SEE-gur); (SIH-gur)

Nicknames: Sig, Sjur

Detail: From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr “victory” and varðr “guardian”.

Sigurd is a hero in Norse legend, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon, Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds. By listening to the birds Sigurd learned that Regin was planning to betray him.

4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists

Edgar

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Old English

Meaning: “Blessed spear.”

Pronunciation: (ED-gahr)

Nicknames: Ed, Eddy

Detail: Derived from the Old English elements ead “rich, blessed” and gar “spear”.

This was the name of a 10th-century English king who is regarded as a saint.

Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Nesace

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Small island.”

Pronunciation: (nee-SAH-kee)

Nicknames: Saki

Detail: From Edgar Allan Poe’s Al Aaraaf, there is an angel named Nesace, who is Beauty personified.

Variations:

• Nesake

Rupert

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: “Bright fame.”

Pronunciation: Eng (ROO-pert)

Nicknames: Ru

Detail: From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning “bright fame”, derived from the Germanic elements hrod “fame” and beraht “bright”.

Nwyvre

swiftly runs the Sun in the sky

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: “Sky; energy.”

Pronunciation: (NOOiv-ruh)

Nicknames: Nw, Noo

Detail: Variation of Nwyfre. Nwyfre appears to be connected to the somewhat familiar Middle Welsh word nwyf meaning “energy” or “vigour”.

Nwyfre itself is demonstrated as a poetic word in various medieval Welsh manuscripts, where it means “sky” or “heaven” or “firmament”, and figuratively the “ether”.

As an element, nwyfre is the source of life and consciousness, and modern Druids often refer to it simply as the life force. Its image in nature is blue sky.

Druid Revival lore contains a set of three elements that first appears in Iolo Morganwg’s writings. Whether it’s an invention of Iolo’s or a surviving scrap of some older teaching is anyone’s guess, but the three elements have been part of Druid Revival teaching ever since his time. Their names are Nwyfre, Gwyar, and Calas.

In the Book of Taliesin:

Welsh: “atwyn heul yn ehwybyr yn nwyfre”

English: “swiftly runs the Sun in the sky”

Uther

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Celtic

Meaning: “the terrible.”

Pronunciation: (OO-thur)

Nicknames: Utho

Detail: Possibly of Celtic origin and means “the terrible”.

In Celtic mythology, Uther Pendragon is Arthur‘s father in the Arthurian ledgends.

Fenrir

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Old Norse

Pronunciation: (FEHN-rir)

Nicknames: Fen, Fenno

Detail: The meaning Fenrir is disputed on is thought to be the Old Norse “fen-dweller”. Another idea is the short form of Fenrisúlfr. Which means “Fenris-wolf”, derived from the name Fenris combined with Old Norse úlfr “wolf.” The etymology of the name Fenris is uncertain; it is thought that it is derived from Old Norse fen “moor, marsh, swamp” and Old Norse hris “brushwood, shrub.”

In Norse mythology, Fenrir is a monstrous wolf and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök (the end of the world).

J. K. Rowling also uses the name for one of her werewolf characters, Fenrir Greyback, in the popular Harry Potter series.

Draco

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Dragon, serpent.”

Pronunciation: (DRAY-koh)

Nicknames: Dra

Detail: From the Greek name Drakon which meant “dragon, serpent”.

In the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Draco Malfoy is a popular character.

This was the name of a 7th-century BC Athenian legislator.

This is also the name of a constellation in the northern sky.

Homer

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Pledge; hostage.”

Pronunciation: (HOH-mer)

Nicknames: Hom, Homie

Detail: A Greek name derived from homeros meaning “hostage” or “pledge”.

Homer was the Greek epic poet who wrote the ‘Iliad’, about the Trojan War, and the ‘Odyssey’, about Odysseus’ journey home after the war.

This name is borne by the cartoon father on the television series ‘The Simpsons’.

Male Variations:

• Homer (English, Ancient Greek)
• Homeros (Ancient Greek)

Quelle

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Tolkien

Meaning: “Autumn.”

Pronunciation: (kell)

Nicknames: Que

Detail: The name for autumn in Quenya (a language created by Tolkien)

Ophelia

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Help.”

Pronunciation: (oh-FEE-lee-ah)

Nicknames: Ophie, Phe, Lia,

Detail: Derived from Greek ophelos meaning “help”.

This name was probably created by the 15th-century poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem “Arcadia”.

It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet, in which it belongs to Hamlet’s lover who eventually goes insane and drowns herself.

Variations:

• Ofélia (Portugese)
• Ofelia (Spanish, Italian)
• Ophelia (English)
• Ophélie (French) [oh-fay-LEE]

Ursula

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Latin

Meaning: “Little bear.”

Pronunciation: (UR-suh-lah)

Nicknames: Ursa, Sula, Ulla

Deatail: Saint Ursula is a Chistian saint.

In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Ursula is a waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Leonato’s daughter, Hero.

In the Harry Potter series, Ursula Black is the wife of Phineas Nigellus Black, a former Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Araxie

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Armenian

Meaning: “River that inspires poetic talent.”

Pronunciation: (ah-RAHK-see); (AH-rah-zee)

Nicknames: Raxi, Ara, Ari

Detail: Feminine form of the male Arax, from the name of a river (also called the Aras) which flows through Armenia, said to inspire poetic expression.

Sapphira

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Sapphire, blue gemstone.”

Pronunciation: (sah-FEER-ah); (sah-FAHY-rah)

Nicknames: Saph, Saphi, Safa, Phira

Detail: Sapphira was a character in Acts in the New Testament.

In the book Eragon, the main character’s blue dragon is named Saphira.

Sapphire gemstone is the birthstone for the month of September.

Pomona

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Latin

Meaning: “Fruit tree.”

Pronunciation: (pah-MOH-nah)

Nicknames: Pomme (French word for apple), Pomy, Poppy, Mona

Detail: From the Latin pomus “fruit tree”. This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.

In the Harry Potter series Pomona Sprout the professor of Herbology.

Horatio

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Latin

Meaning: “Time, hour.”

Pronunciation: (hoh-RAY-shee-oh)

Nicknames: Hod, Hoss, Hoke, Horo, Haro, Hugh, Huey

Byron

Gender: Masculine

Origin: English

Meaning: “Place of the cow sheds.”

Pronunciation: (BAHY-ruhn)

Nicknames: Byr, Byro

Detail: From a surname which was originally from a place name meaning “place of the cow sheds” in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron.

Musidora

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Gift of the Muses.”

Pronunciation: (myoo-see-DOR-ah)

Nicknames: Musi, Muse, Sidda, Dora

Detail: Character in the Harry Potter Series.

Also the stage name of Jeanne Roques, a popular French silent film actress.