Virtue Names

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Most virtue names are based on common etymological elements found in their original languages. While common noun virtue names such as Verity and Prudence were popularized by the Puritans, virtue names can be found in a wide variety of cultures. Knowing the etymological elements of a virtue name will point you to names with the meaning you seek. Virtue names are found in every language, but the majority in use today come from the Indo-European naming pool which includes English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Many are also found in Hebrew and Arabic. Many of the names listed throughout this article are unisex, however they are listed with the sex for which they are most commonly associated.

1 Names That Denote Perseverance
2 Names That Denote Joy
3 Names That Denote Love and Kindness
4 Names That Denote Honesty
5 Names That Denote Hope, Peace and Generostiy
6 More Baby Naming Articles

[edit] Names That Denote Perseverance

Names that embody strength, courage and steadfastness.

Boys' Names:

Autry: An Old English word meaning "noble strength."
Brian: Irish name meaning "strength."
Ethan: Hebrew name that means "steadfastness" or "firmness."
Devlin: Irish, meaning "fierce courage." * Dante: "Lasting and enduring."
Constantine: "Steadfast."
Gregory: Means "watchful" or "vigilant."

Girls' Names:

Brites: On the unusual side, it's Portuguese for "power" and based on the Irish name Bridget as well.
Valentina: This name and Valerie come from the same Latin root word meaning "strength."

[edit] Names That Denote Joy

Names that bring to mind happiness and celebration have been long enjoyed worldwide and it is no wonder – having a baby is, after all, a joyful thing!

Boys' Names:

Bligh: Old English name meaning "bliss".
Caius: From the Latin word meaning "rejoice”.
Fane: Old English for "happy”.
Ilario: “Cheerful" or "merry" in Italian.
Tait:"Cheerful" or "gay" in Old Norse.

Girls' Names:

Blythe: Old English for “happy”
Joy: English for “happy”
Allegra: "Joyous" in Italian.
Felicity: English for “happy”
Freda: Yiddish for "joy."

[edit] Names That Denote Love and Kindness

There are name you love and names that mean love. You might just fall in love with love itself.

Boys' Names:

Craddock: From an ancient Welsh name meaning "love."
Agape: Greek word for love.
Lufa: English name meaning “love”

Girls' Names:

Carys: From "caru", a Welsh verb meaning "to love", or "cam" welsh for "love".
Amal: A Muslim or Arabic name meaning "hope." It's used for both boys and girls.
Aimée: French for "beloved."
Love: An obvious choice. The English word for “love”.
Amity: English word for "friendship".

[edit] Names That Denote Honesty

Names that stand for truth and justice connote optimism and altruism.

Boys' Names:

Amin: Hebrew word for "truthful" or "trustworthy."
Truth: One of the simple, agreeable virtue names for boys, similar to Hope or Charity for girls.
Justice: Puritan virtue name that is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.
Honor: Like the name says, "honorable".

Girls' Names:

Alethea: A Greek name meaning "truth."
Amana: From a Hebrew word meaning "loyal" or "true."
Verity: A Puritan virtue name meaning truth.
Honora: Feminine form of Honor.

[edit] Names That Denote Hope, Peace and Generostiy

It may not keep your wee one from waking you up every two hours, but giving your child a moniker that denotes peace and harmony still might rub off.

Boys' Names:

Concord: English name meaning "peace".
Yasahiro: A Japanese name meaning "tranquil."

Girls' Names:

Irene: This English name comes from the Greek word for "peace."
Serena: Latin name meaning "serene."
Shalom: Hebrew greeting meaning "peace."
Charity: Timeless virtue name that means charitable giving.
Esperanza: Spanish word for "hope."
Elpida: Means "hope" in Greek.

There are countless virtues that can and have been used as names. Virtue names evolve according to what society deems as desirable characteristics at certain points in time. Puritans, an English Protestant sect of of the 16th to 18th centuries, favored such names as Lamentation, Redeemed and Temperance. While most Puritans tended to use Old Testament biblical names. Some, however, thought that using any name from the bible was blasphemous, and took to using standard words and phrases instead. Puritan virtue names that have survived to this day include Hope, Faith and Joy, which are certainly enduring human values and also have the advantage of being short and non cumbersome. During the hippy era, names such as Peace, Liberty and Freedom gained popularity as these ideals common during the hippy movement of the 1960s influenced modern virtue naming practices.