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Serious Names for Boys and Girls

Serious names used to be favored for boys but recently it's been serious names for girls, such as Edith and Alice, that have gotten more attention, as parents try to do everything they can to help their daughters succeed in a serious world.

Along with Edith and Alice, other serious names in the US Top 600 include Charles, Dorothy, Edward, Faith, Frances, Louise, Nathan, and Victor. Many serious names could be considered stodgy or old-fashioned, but some, such as Alfred, Theodora, Winifred, and Howard, are in the beginning stages of a comeback.

Serious names are easiest to define by what they're not: They're not invented, not nicknames, not celebrity influenced (unless that celebrity is the Notorious RBG), not creative or fanciful in any way. They probably do not start with or even contain an X, a Z, or a Q. Serious names are somber, straightforward, buttoned-up, ready for a future as a lawyer, an accountant, or maybe President.

Serious names for boys and girls include the following.

Albert

Meaning: noble, bright

Origin:German
218
Virgil

Meaning: staff bearer

Origin:Latin
780
Norman

Meaning: northerner, Norseman

Origin:English
844
Walter

Meaning: army ruler

Origin:German
332
Carl

Meaning: free man

Origin:German variation of Charles
757
Charles

Meaning: man, free man

Origin:French from German
290
Howard

Meaning: high guardian or brave heart

Origin:German or English
715
Warren

Meaning: park-keeper

Origin:English from French
252
Pierce

Meaning: son of Piers

Origin:English
950
Solomon

Meaning: peace

Origin:Hebrew
320
Eugene

Meaning: wellborn, noble

Origin:Greek
360
Renata

Meaning: reborn

Origin:Latin
973
Eudora

Meaning: generous gift

Origin:Greek
761
Marion

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:English and French diminutive of Marie
872
Mitchell

Meaning: who is like God

Origin:English variation of Michael
616
Dennis

Meaning: god of Nysa

Origin:French from Greek, vernacular form of Dionysius
586
Harold

Meaning: army ruler

Origin:Scandinavian
610
Martin

Meaning: warlike

Origin:Latin
378
Mallory

Meaning: unfortunate

Origin:French
1182
Wanda

Meaning: shepherdess; wanderer

Origin:Slavic or German
763