Baby Names That Mean Warrior

Warrior-names have a particular weight: they suggest both strength and protection, the impulse to defend rather than to dominate. They’ve aged well across both genders.

The strongest warrior-names are the ones that don’t announce themselves at the school gate.
— Editor’s note

Curated picks

Liam boy
Irish — “strong-willed warrior.” The one name on this list that almost everyone gets right by feel.
Maeve girl
Irish queen-warrior of legend. Sharp, single-syllable, ancient.
Aldo boy
Italian/Old German “noble fighter.” Vintage with current Italian energy.
Imara girl
Swahili “strong, resolute.” A modern alternative to Mara.
Kai neutral
Multiple roots — Hawaiian “sea,” but in Maori “food” and in Japanese 戦 connotations of battle. Unisex and short.
Boris boy
Slavic “to fight.” Solid, distinctive, very back in fashion.
Marcella girl
Latin from Mars, god of war. The girls’ form of Marcus.
Harvey boy
Old Breton “battle-worthy.” British classic with quiet strength.
Sloane neutral
Irish “raider, warrior.” Reads modern; works on every gender.
Andrew boy
Greek “manly, brave.” The classic warrior-name hiding in plain sight.