We have so many places we can look to for inspiration when we're researching a name for our baby. It's a huge decision, so if we don't have one set in our minds before we find out we're pregnant, it can take a while for us to find the one that sings to our heart. Sometimes we just have to get a little creative, and sometimes we have to start with a word that means a lot to us and go from there.
For anyone who's looking for a boy name inspired by kings, princes, and other real people who have been in charge, we've found these 16 names that mean "ruler." Hopefully, there's going to be a name here that speaks right to the heart.
ENZO
Enzo is a great name choice for a little boy, and it can either be the full official name, or it can be a nickname for something like Lorenzo or Vincenzo. Surprisingly, it's a short form of the name Henry in both Italy and Germany — and it means "estate rule."
ALARIC
This is a bold name for a little boy that we don't hear too often, and we're on board with making this name more popular in the future. The tie to rulers comes from Alaric's German meaning, which is "all-powerful ruler."
MIRCEA
Another name that's fairly unusual is Mircea. The name is Romanian and means "peace" and was also the name of a ruler from medieval times who brought stability to the nation.
THEODORIC
We have all heard of the name Theodore, but this is a name with an uncommon twist to the classic version. It's another German name tied to a ruler meaning "people's ruler." It's a strong name and can be shortened to Theo, which is even more adorable.
RICHARD
Richard is such a classic name, and it's been around forever — and likely not going anywhere either. The name has held strong in popularity for centuries, as it's historically a common name for members of the royal family, which makes sense when we take the meaning into account: "power" or "ruler."
HARRY
This is a name that we're familiar with in the US, and it's been popular for a long time. One of the most popular men with this name is Prince Harry, and the name holds for a real-life prince, meaning "home-ruler."
HENRY
The name Henry for a little boy was surprisingly more popular in the late 1800s, but it's still going strong today. The name has several different spellings and means "ruler of an enclosure." It was also the 12th most popular boy's name in 2019 and a total classic judging by the number of kings going back centuries named Henry.
THIERRY
Although we don't see Thierry's name too often in the US, it's a name that's popular in France. The name has a fun sound to it, and it fits the "ruler" feel with its meaning, "ruler of the people." For anyone unsure about how to pronounce it, it sounds much like Terry.
NESTOR
Nestor sounds like someone fit to take on the world, and we love that this name isn't everywhere. The name is Greek, and means "voyager" or "the one going or departing." Basically, someone who is ruling their own destiny.
KING
An obvious name tied to the feeling and meaning of "ruler," King is a suitable name for a little boy born with a big personality and an idea that he's the center of his parents' world. It might be a little too on-the-nose for some parents, but we dig it and think it could be a way to help set him up for claiming life with a firm fist.
QUADE
We usually hear this name as a last name with a slightly different spelling. Still, it makes for a quirky and often overlooked first name. The name means "born fourth," and while we typically wouldn't think of that as a ruler, we're going with the second interpretation, which means "ruler of the army."
KENDRICK
Kendrick is usually a surname, but it's grown in popularity over the past several years as a first name for a little boy. We love how strong the name sounds – something that's pretty popular with surnames as first names. The name means "royal ruler" and "champion." Powerful indeed.
BARDRICK
Another name that we don't hear often enough, Bardrick, has that old-school feel that makes us think it would be a character from the Pride and Prejudice times. Of course, it's an English name and tied to the meaning of "ruler" because it means "axe ruler" — which sounds extra fierce to us.
MAEL
A pretty and short name for a boy isn't a combination we come across too often, and we really like it. The name is pronounced MY-el, and it's a French name that's not often heard in the United States. The name means "chief or prince," and is sometimes written with the two dots above the "e" and has the sound "mile."
RYNE
We've all heard of the name Ryan, and it's one of the more common names for boys (and girls) but hasn't been on the popular list for a while. This name takes many of the same letters and the same feel and flips it a little to make it the more unusual Ryne, which is pronounced like Ryan without the "ah" sound. It means "little king" and is Ireland's version of Ryan.
RUAIDHRI
Another Irish name that has an unusual spelling to a name that we hear often, Ruaidhri, is pronounced like English's Rory. It's not a common name in the US, but it's a great option for anyone wanting a strong name with a solid meaning. Ruaidhri means "red king."
