Sebastian

Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus, which means "man from Sebaste." Sebaste was a town in Asia Minor, and its name came from the Greek sebastos which meant "august" or "venerable," so it is reasonable enough to give Sebastian that meaning as well, if "man from Sebaste" isn't meaningful enough for you. Sebastian was the name of a 3rd century saint. He was an officer in the Imperial Roman Army, and was tied to a tree and shot multiple times with arrows by his own fellow officers after being charged with being a Christian. More about him can be found here. Sebastian is a more popular name than you might think. In the U.S. the name has been steadily in use enough to nearly always appear in the top 1000, and since the year 2000, Sebastian has been consistently in the top 100. It is similarly popular in other English-speaking countries including Australia and Canada, and is even more popular (top 50) in Sweden and Norway. The usual popularity of the name in prior decades can be largely attributed to its status as a saint name, and as a surname but why it is currently enjoying a popularity rise, I haven't got a clue.

Dominic

Dominic comes from the Late Latin Dominicus which is itself derived from dominus, which means "lord." Dominic is therefore taken to mean "of the lord." Saint Dominic was the founder of the Dominican order of monks, inspiring some Roman Catholic parents to name thier sons Dominic in his honor. Dominic, because of its meaning, has also been traditionally used to name a child born on Sunday. Dominic is currently enjoying a popularity spike in many English speaking countries, including the U.S. and Australia. Nicknames for Dominic include Dom and Nick, and the alternate spelling Dominick is sometimes used. The Dominic most in the popular public consciousness presently is Dominic Monaghan, who played "Merry" in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and who also appears on television's "Lost."

Demetrius

Demetrius comes from Demeter. Demeter was the Greek goddess of agriculture, and her name translates to "earth mother." There were several early saints named Demetrius, Shakespeare wrote of a Demetrius in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and John Dryden's translation of Plutarch's Demetrius can be found here. Demetrius has been given to baby boys often enough in the U.S. since the 1950's to remain consistently in the top 1000 names, but has never been what could be called "popular." It will probably remain so; as a classical name and a saint's name, it will likely continue to be used, but it would probably require a super-celebrity with the name Demetrius to push it into a popularity spike. The lack of good nicknames for this name also works against it. Although I can't recommend it as a baby name for anyone but the most adventurous of parents, Demetrius is an excellent name for a dog or cat.

Julia

Julia is a feminine form of Julius. A woman named Julia is mentioned in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and several saints were also named Julia. Shakespeare used the name Julia in The Two Gentlemen Gentlemen of Verona. A fashion for "classical" names occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Julia's popularity benefited greatly from this trend. Julia is still a name popular today, generally appearing in the top 50 for girls in the U.S., as well as being quite popular in Sweden, Spain, and France. Famous Julia's include actress Julia Roberts, and chef Julia Child, who died in 2004 at the age of 91.

Denise

Denise is a French name; it's the feminine form of Denis/Dennis. Dennis comes from Dionysius, which was originally a word for a follower or devotee of the Greek god Dionysos. So, if you want to take the attitude that a name retains the meaning of its original form, then Denise means "follower of Dionysos." Denise is a saint name; Saint Denise lived in the 3rd century You can read her story at Wikipedia. Denise began to be used in the U.S. in the 1920's and grew quickly in popularity through the 30's and 40's. Extremely popular in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, the name is now well past its popularity peak, but is still fairly common as a name for new baby girls today.

Barbara

Barbara is the Latin form of the Greek barbarus. The Greek word comes from bar-bar, which was sort of a Greek version of "blah blah" and referred to the language of foreigners which sounded like no more than "bar-bar" (or blah blah) to them. Therefore, barbarus came to mean "foreign," and Barbara means "foreign woman." The word barbarian comes from the same source. Other meanings related to the word are sometimes given for Barbara, including "strange," "exotic," and "untamed." Barbara is a saint's name: Saint Barbara is the patron saint of stonemasons, architects, and artillerymen, among other things. Barbara is currently somewhat out-of-fashion as a name for baby girls. It was extremely popular during the first half of the 20th century, and was a top ten name in the U.S. for most of the three decades (the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's.) Because of this, many many people have mothers, grandmothers, and even great-grandmothers named Barbara. Often when this happens a name starts to be associated with the "older generations" and goes out of fashion until the older generation has passed. Barbara has not fallen completely out of use, but its popularity has been on a steady decline since the 1960's, and it currently isn't even quite in the top 500. Barbara is a classic name, however, plus a saint's name, so it is doubtful that it will become obssolete. The name can be expected to eventually experience a resurgence in popularity. Barbara is a versatile name, but its versatility is another reason for its decline in popularity; one of the main nicknames for Barbara is Barbie and that name has been virtually taken over by its association with Barbie Dolls. Other nicknames for Barbara are Babs, Babette, and Barb, and Bobbie. The variant spelling Barbra is sometimes used, but I'll deal with that as a name in its own right at some point.

Philip

Philip means comes from the Greek philein which means "to love," and hippos which means horse, therefore, Philip means "lover of horses." Philip is a saint name, and has been a royal name in Spain and France. Philip was the name of Alexander the Great's father, and although it is less popular now than it was in the early to mid 1900's, it is still given to baby boys reasonably often. The name is reasonably versatile; nicknames include Phil, Philo, and Pip, though the latter two are not often heard today.

James

James is the English version of the name Iacomus, which is a Latin version of the Greek Iakobus. (The name Jacob ultimately comes from the same source, via the Hebrew name version of Iakobus, which is Yaakov.) James is a saint name; in the New Testament, two of Christ's disciples were named James. Several Kings of Scotland were named James. James is a perennial favorite in all English-speaking countries. It is normally a masculine name, but has on occasion been given to girls, as well. (Naming a girl James just isn't recommended. It's not like names for girls are rare.) Because James comes from the same source as Jacob, it also means "supplanter" or "holder of the heel." One reason for James' continued popularity is its versatility. Nicknames for James include Jim, Jimmy, and Jamie. The name is considered by many to be overused, and it probably is, but that overuse is not likely to stop--and there is a big difference between an overused "trendy" name that comes out of nowhere and is overused for a few years, and classic names like James, John, Anne, Mary, etc. James is likely to remain popular, and will also remain a good name choice for boys.

Victor

Victor means exactly what it seems to mean. That's "winner" or "victorious" for the less perceptive amongst you. The word is Latin, the name is Roman. When we hear the name Victor we might think of one of the saints who were named Victor, we might think of record company RCA Victor or we might think of author Victor Hugo. Fans of banjo genius Bela Fleck might even think of Victor Wooten. Classic movie fans will more likely think of actor Victor Mature. Early Christians liked this name quite a bit, and we evidently still like it a lot today. For more than 100 years now, this name has hovered just at the top 100 mark. This makes it a good name, simply because it's common enough not to be thought "odd," but not so common as to be overused. The usual nickname for Victor is Vic--a name that really grows on you once you know someone called Vic. Victor is an especially good name for a German Shepherd. Seriously.

Audrey

Audrey is a much more interesting name than you might think. First, if you've spent any time reading name dictionaries, you've probably run across the Old English name Etheldreda, which means "noble strength." Audrey is, according to Ask Oxford derived from Etheldreda, so the meaning is the same. The Old English version is Ædhelþrydh, and Etheldreda is the Latin version of that. Anyone who has read a biography of actress Audrey Hepburn will almost certainly agree that this is one case where the meaning of a name matched the person perfectly--Audrey Hepburn was truly a Great Lady, and one whose life required a lot of that noble strength. Saint Audrey (known as Etheldreda in her own time, apparently,) lived in the sixth century. She was apparently something of a religious fanatic from the word "go," because she took a vow of perpetual chastity, but was married twice anyway. Her first husband knew about her chastity vow (men do love a challenge.) Later in life Audrey developed a large and unsightly tumor on her neck. She considered this a just punishment for the fact that she'd worn so many necklaces in her younger days. In the Middle Ages she was a popular saint, and Saint Audrey's Fair was held on her feast day (October 17th.) The fair naturally sold many necklaces and neckerchiefs, and they became famous for their cheapness and low quality. From this we now have the word tawdry, a shortening of "Saint Audrey." Because of this, by the end of the Middle Ages the name became much less popular. Shakespeare's use of the name in As You Like It, plus its status as a saint's name, guaranteed that Audrey would not become an obsolete name, and eventually it came back into use--most people no longer even aware that Audrey and tawdry were anything more than a convenient rhyme. The name Audrey has remained in constant but not overwhelming use in the U.S. for at least the last 100 years. In the early 1900's it was occasionally given to boys, but is now nearly exclusively a girl's name. Audrey is also apparently a popular name in France. Most people probably think of Audrey Hepburn first when they hear the name Audrey, but some might also think of Audrey Hardy a character from the television soap opera General Hospital.

Georgia

Georgia is, of coure, the feminine form of George. George means, more or less, "farmer," so I guess we take Georgia to mean "lady farmer?" Or "farmer's wife" if you'd rather. In the U.S. if we hear "Georgia," we don't think of George though, usually. We think instead of the state named Georgia, or we automatically get "Georgia On My Mind" or "Midnight Train To Georgia" stuck in our heads. Georgia is also a country in the land formerly known as the Soviet Union. I only know one Georgia, and she gets called "Georgie" almost exclusively. In case you wondered. Georgia is a much more popular name in other English speaking countries than it is in the U.S., probably for the reasons I mentioned about what we think of when we hear the name. It's certainly not rare here in the U.S. either though, and its additional status as a saint's name probably guarantees that it's going to stick around.

Frances

Frances is the feminine form of Francis. Up until the 17th century, Francis was a unisex name, like Terry or Chris. Why "they" suddenly decided that a girl ought to have an "e" in her Frances is just one of life's little mysteries. The name has been in steady use since the 17th century, but is currently in a popularity slump. It was a top 100 name for baby girls in the U.S. until the 1960's. One notable Frances was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint. Another was author Frances Hodgson Burnett, who wrote A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. Yet another was Frances Farmer.

John

From John the Baptist to King John to John Lennon to John Kerry, if I need to tell you how popular this name has been through the ages, you just haven't been paying attention. Everyone from saints to kings to popes to pop singers have been named John. Actually, the Hebrew name was more like "Johanan," but since John is the version used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament, and is the English form, that is the name we know best. Due to its extreme popularity over so many centuries, "john" has picked up at least two seperate meanings as a word rather than just being a name. "John" is a recognized synonym for a toilet, and, probably because of the habit of calling anonymous men "John Doe," prostitutes commonly refer to their customers as johns. Despite these bad associations, the name is still a reasonably good choice for a boy's name. One common nickname for John is Johnny, or its alternate spelling Johnnie, both of which are also used as names in their own right.

Laura

Laura comes from the Late Latin male name Laurus, which means "laurel," referring to the crown of laurel you always seen on the heads of important Romans. Laura is a saint name; Saint Laura was a Spanish nun who met a grisly death in a vat of molten lead. The Italian poet Petrarch wrote love poetry to "Laura" in the 1300's leading to a certain amount of popularity for the name in Italy. The name began to be popular in English-speaking countries in the 19th century. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote books that most people are aware of if not familiar with, and many women (and maybe some men, who knows?)are fans of Laura Ashley. Current well-known Laura's include Laura Bush and "Dr. Laura." Laura has been hugely popular in the U.S. in the past century, only falling out of the top 1000 since the year 2000. A note: the pronunciation of Laura can vary depending on who you are and where you are. Some people rhyme it, or almost, with "Norah," while others say the "au" with a sound closer to "ah." Some have made their pronunciation intent more obvious by simply spelling it "Lora," though this can also be a name in its own right.

Stephen

Stephen comes from the Greek Stephanos, which means "crown," or "garland." Stephen is a saint's name (Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr; the story is told in Acts in the New Testament.) Stephen was a very popular name with the early Christians, and has been reasonbly popular in English speaking countries since at least the 12th century. In the United States, Stephen has remained steadily in use at least the top 150 names for baby boys, sometimes rising into the top 50. The name would probably be more popular if not for its sound-alike variant spelling, Steven; the two have to share their popularity, and the short form for both of them, Steve, is often given as a name in its own right. Stephen is a classic old name that is always a good solid choice for a baby boy.

Charles

Charles comes from Germanic and means "man," or "free man." Charlemagne, ("Charles the Great,") was the earliest famous Charles, and the name spread with his fame. The name has since been borne by kings, holy roman emperors, and other famous or notable persons such as Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, and unfortunately for the name, Charles Manson. On a nicer note, Charles Schultz is another famous Charles, who created another more famous Charles, Charlie Brown. Charles is one of those classic names that is always popular, and although it doesn't currently have the top 10 status that it had in the early 1900's, it is still comfortably in the top 50. One reason for its continued popularity is its versatility: a child name Charles can be Charles, Chaz, Chuck, or Charlie. Incidentally, I once knew a great dane named Charles and the name fit him perfectly.

Mark

Mark comes from the Latin name Marcus, which probably derives from the Roman god of war, Mars. We are familiar with the name Mark from the New Testament, as well as American writer Mark Twain. There was also King Mark in Arthurian legend, and according to the Ask Oxford Concise Dictionary of Names, King Mark's name was probably of Celtic origin, from a word that meant "horse." Although it has recently fallen out of the top 100 names for boys in the U.S., Mark has been quite popular in the U.S. for over a century. Its status as a saint name and important biblical figure, and its simplicity, probably guarantee its continued popularity. You won't win any points for originality if you name your baby boy Mark, but its still a fine choice.

Thomas

I really like the name Thomas a lot. My mother had a cat named Thomas--we called him "Sir Thomas" most of the time. My boyfriend's first name is Thomas, so that's another reason to like the name a lot. Thomas is a wonderful name to give a baby boy--in my opinion, because it has that versatility thing going for it. The child you name Thomas can grow up to be a casual Tommy or Tom, or he can use the more formal Thomas. I love names that allow a person to choose who they'd like to be. According to Behind the Name, Thomas is derived from "Te'oma," meaning "twin." I find this pretty darn interesting because I've started to really like the search engine Teoma, and now I'm going to have to remember to look up how they got that name. Some sources say that Thomas is from Hebrew. Behind the Name says it's a Greek form of an Aramaic name. Aramaic was a language that was very similar to Hebrew, and was likely the language spoken by Jesus Christ, so that's reasonable. Thomas was one of the apostles, and gave us the phrase "doubting Thomas." Thomas is a saint name. This name is one of those classic names that might never go out of style. In the U.S. it's currently at a sort of "low point" in popularity--meaning, it fell out of the top 20. Not much of a "low" there. The name is popular in pretty much all countries with a high Catholic population, so that is part of the reason for its popularity. Again, a name I would definitely recommend.

George

George (Washington, duh,) was the first President of the United States, and has belonged to less-distinguished presidents since then, so I guess George will do as the first name added here. The literal meaning of George is someone who works in the earth, so we take that to mean "farmer." The name is derived from Greek. Saint George is the patron saint of England, and a dreaded enemy of dragons everywhere. George has been a popular name among the royal set, and history is littered with kings and princes named George. The name is currently more popular in England than in the U.S. In the U.S., it's been dropping in popularity since the early 1900's, but is still in the top 200 names for boys. Interestingly (to me, at least,) George was among the top 1000 most popular names for girls in the U.S. until 1950. Since I don't know any women, old or otherwise, named George, I'm going to assume for the moment that the name must have been given as a middle name mostly--as a namesake of a male George father or other relative, as the mother's maiden name, or maybe occasionally because moms just admired the female writers who chose "George" as their male pseudonyms. Why the drop in (U.S.) popularity in recent decades? This is one thing you can't blame on a Bush. At least, not entirely. At this point in time when most people hear the name "George," they think of an old, or at least middle-aged man. Maybe George Bush (either of them.) Maybe George Jefferson (you know, from tv.) George of the Jungle? Maybe just Uncle George who tells bad jokes and has a nervous habit of adjusting his dentures with his tongue. In short, right now, the name seems kind of old-fashioned. People who are naming their babies George (in the U.S., that is,)are probably naming them after fathers, grandfathers, or rich old relatives who might kick off at any moment and don't have any children of their own. In a generation or two, when the memories of Georges past have faded, the name will probably regain popularity once again--it's an old standard, a classic, and it's not likely to go away entirely. Why is it still so popular in England? The simple answer is probably that the British are a little more tradition-oriented and less trend-oriented when it comes to naming their babies. For the bored: Where's George, a website that lets you track one dollar bills.