Parenthood is a test of emotional and physical strength like none other—and baby names that mean strong, mighty or powerful feel uniquely appropriate to motherhood.

You may be hoping that your child inherits the personal strength of you or a loved one, or that they boast the inner strength to overcome any obstacle life may throw their way. While the word “strong” itself might not be the ideal name, there are plenty of strong boy and girl names, including popular names, that fit the hopes and dreams you have for your newborn.

Baby names that mean strong

Whether you’re looking for unique baby names, something more common, a strong girl name or a strong boy name, this list of baby names that mean strong is packed with inspiration.

Girl names that mean strong

These baby girl names meaning “strong,” “strength” and “power” rank in the top 1,000 names for girls.

  1. Andrea
  2. Audrey
  3. Brianna
  4. Bridget
  5. Briella
  6. Emery
  7. Gabriella
  8. Karla
  9. Matilda
  10. Valentina
  11. Valerie
  12. Valeria

Related: Best baby names that mean love

Boy names that mean strong

Baby boy names with the meaning “strong,” “powerful” or “strength” are always popular—these currently rank in the top 1,000 names for boys.

  1. Andrew
  2. Aziel
  3. Brian
  4. Ethan
  5. Ezekiel
  6. Gabriel
  7. Garrett
  8. Griffin
  9. Harvey
  10. Kenzo
  11. Merrick
  12. Valentino

Unique strong girl names

Less common but still powerful and beautiful, these girl names that mean “strength,” “mighty” or “power” include vintage-sounding names ripe for a comeback, like Maude and Trudy, as well as modern-sounding names with strong meanings, like Bree, Aila and Bali.

  1. Adira
  2. Aila
  3. Ailany
  4. Asta
  5. Audra
  6. Bali
  7. Bedelia
  8. Bidu
  9. Bree
  10. Brielle
  11. Britta
  12. Drusilla
  13. Fortney
  14. Gertrude
  15. Imara
  16. Imiza
  17. Irie
  18. Isa
  19. Maude
  20. Melisande
  21. Millicent
  22. Nereida
  23. Philomena
  24. Rainey
  25. Riella
  26. Rita
  27. Trudy
  28. Zenobia

Related: 100+ unique baby names

Unique strong boy names

Looking for an alternative to the perennially-popular boys’ names with the meaning “strength?” Some of these boy names that mean strong are old-school favorites that have become less common in recent years (like Gerard and Howard), while some have a more modern feel, like Brycin, Chasin and Fort.

  1. Abelardo
  2. Anders
  3. Arsenio
  4. Azaiah
  5. Bernard
  6. Brycin
  7. Chasin
  8. Conall
  9. Egon
  10. Ermentrude
  11. Evren
  12. Fort
  13. Gavi
  14. Gerard
  15. Howard
  16. Jabari
  17. Kwan
  18. Mandla
  19. Maynard
  20. Osiris
  21. Oz
  22. Uzi
  23. Uziah
  24. Valens
  25. Warrick
  26. Zane
  27. Zeke

Gender-neutral baby names that mean strong

Whether given to a boy or a girl, these gender-neutral names that mean “strength” evoke power and resilience.

  1. Baldwin
  2. Barrett
  3. Dree
  4. Drew
  5. Emerson
  6. Evander
  7. Everett
  8. Griffin
  9. Kiah
  10. Quillon
  11. Remi/Remy
  12. Zale

A version of this story was published November 2021. It has been updated.