King Names
A king’s name was a political statement. Norman kings chose William and Henry, Spanish monarchs rotated Alfonso and Ferdinand, and French kings used Louis eighteen times. Many of these names are still in daily use, which makes them a smart source for a regal baby name, a fantasy monarch or a proud dog. Below are more than 110 king names from history and legend, each with its meaning and the ruler who made it famous.
For the other half of the throne, see queen names. Modern royal favorites live on royal boy names, and if you only want the meaning, try names that mean king.
English and British kings
From Anglo-Saxon rulers to the House of Windsor. These names are the backbone of English naming. See also medieval boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred | “Elf counsel” | Alfred the Great, 871–899 |
| Athelstan | “Noble stone” | First king of all England |
| Edgar | “Wealthy spear” | Edgar the Peaceful |
| Edmund | “Wealthy protector” | Edmund Ironside |
| Egbert | “Bright edge” | King of Wessex |
| Offa | Meaning uncertain | King of Mercia, built Offa’s Dyke |
| Oswald | “God’s power” | Saint and king of Northumbria |
| Harold | “Army ruler” | Harold II, died at Hastings |
| William | “Resolute protector” | William the Conqueror |
| Henry | “Ruler of the home” | Henry VIII |
| Richard | “Brave ruler” | Richard the Lionheart |
| Edward | “Wealthy guardian” | Edward I “Longshanks” |
| Stephen | “Crown” | King Stephen, the Anarchy |
| John | “God is gracious” | King John, Magna Carta |
| George | “Farmer” | George III |
| Charles | “Free man” | Charles III |
| Cnut | “Knot” | Cnut the Great, king of England and Denmark |
Scottish kings
Gaelic names and Norman imports ruled together north of the border. More in Scottish boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth | “Handsome” or “born of fire” | Kenneth MacAlpin |
| Malcolm | “Devotee of St. Columba” | Malcolm III |
| Duncan | “Dark warrior” | Duncan I |
| Macbeth | “Son of life” | Macbeth, 1040–1057 |
| Robert | “Bright fame” | Robert the Bruce |
| James | “Supplanter” | James VI and I |
| Constantine | “Constant, steadfast” | Constantine II of Scotland |
French kings
Many French royal names came from the Franks, a Germanic people. See French boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Clovis | Early form of Louis, “famous in battle” | Clovis I, founder of France |
| Charlemagne | “Charles the Great” | Emperor of the West, 800 |
| Pepin | Possibly “to tremble” | Pepin the Short |
| Louis | “Famous warrior” | Louis XIV, the Sun King |
| Philippe | “Lover of horses” | Philippe Auguste |
| Hugues | “Mind, heart” | Hugh Capet |
| François | “Frenchman” | François I, Renaissance patron |
| Dagobert | “Bright day” | Merovingian king |
| Lothair | “Famous army” | Carolingian king |
| Childeric | “Battle ruler” | Merovingian king |
| Napoleon | Possibly “lion of Naples” | Emperor Napoleon I |
| Henri | French form of Henry | Henri IV, “Good King Henry” |
Spanish and Portuguese kings
Iberian royal names were used over and over, so numbering matters. See Spanish boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Pelayo | From Pelagius, “of the sea” | Founder of Asturias |
| Alfonso | “Noble and ready” | Alfonso X the Wise |
| Ferdinand | “Brave journey” | Ferdinand of Aragon |
| Sancho | “Sacred” | Sancho the Great |
| Ramiro | “Famous counsel” | Kings of Aragon and León |
| Felipe | Spanish form of Philip | Felipe VI |
| Pedro | “Rock” | Pedro the Cruel |
| Jaime | Spanish form of James | James I the Conqueror of Aragon |
| Sebastião | “Venerable” | Sebastian of Portugal, the “Hidden King” |
| Manuel | “God with us” | Manuel I the Fortunate |
| Dinis | Portuguese form of Denis | King Dinis, the Farmer King |
Viking and Scandinavian kings
Old Norse names of power, many still common in Scandinavia today. Browse Viking boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Harald | “Army ruler” | Harald Hardrada |
| Olaf | “Ancestor’s heir” | Olaf II, St. Olaf of Norway |
| Magnus | “Great” | Magnus the Good |
| Sweyn | “Young man” | Sweyn Forkbeard |
| Haakon | “High son” | Haakon the Good |
| Eric | “Ever ruler” | Eric Bloodaxe |
| Gorm | Possibly “warrior” | Gorm the Old |
| Sigurd | “Victory guardian” | Sigurd the Crusader |
| Valdemar | “Famous ruler” | Valdemar the Great |
| Gustav | Possibly “staff of the Geats” | Gustav Vasa |
| Christian | “Follower of Christ” | Christian IV of Denmark |
| Frederick | “Peaceful ruler” | Frederick VII, Denmark’s constitution |
| Canute | Anglicized Knud, “knot” | Canute IV, Saint of Denmark |
| Birger | “Helper” | Birger Jarl, founder of Stockholm |
Central and Eastern European kings
Emperors, princes and saint-kings from the Holy Roman Empire to Kyiv.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Otto | “Wealth” | Otto the Great |
| Conrad | “Bold counsel” | Conrad II |
| Wenceslas | “More glory” | Good King Wenceslas |
| Casimir | “Proclaims peace” | Casimir the Great of Poland |
| Boleslaw | “More glory” | Bolesław the Brave |
| Sigismund | “Victory protection” | Emperor Sigismund |
| Matthias | “Gift of God” | Matthias Corvinus of Hungary |
| Ladislaus | “Glorious rule” | St. Ladislaus of Hungary |
| Vladimir | “Rule of the world” | Vladimir the Great of Kyiv |
| Ivan | Slavic form of John | Ivan the Terrible |
| Rudolf | “Famous wolf” | Rudolf of Habsburg |
| Maximilian | “Greatest” | Emperor Maximilian I |
| Leopold | “Bold people” | Leopold I of Belgium |
| Ludwig | German form of Louis | Ludwig II, the “fairy-tale king” |
Biblical kings
Names from the kings of Israel, Judah and their neighbors, with scripture references. More in biblical boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| David | “Beloved” | 1 Samuel 16 |
| Solomon | “Peace” | 1 Kings 3 |
| Saul | “Asked for” | 1 Samuel 10 |
| Josiah | “God supports” | 2 Kings 22 |
| Hezekiah | “God strengthens” | 2 Kings 18 |
| Jehoshaphat | “God has judged” | 1 Kings 22 |
| Asa | “Healer” | 1 Kings 15 |
| Uzziah | “My strength is God” | 2 Chronicles 26 |
| Jeroboam | “The people will contend” | 1 Kings 12 |
| Ahab | “Father’s brother” | 1 Kings 16 |
| Melchizedek | “King of righteousness” | Genesis 14 |
| Belshazzar | “Bel, protect the king” | Daniel 5 |
Ancient and world kings
Great rulers from Sparta to Mali to Hawaii. See ancient names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Leonidas | “Son of the lion” | Leonidas I of Sparta |
| Alexander | “Defender of men” | Alexander the Great |
| Priam | Possibly “redeemed” | King of Troy |
| Minos | Meaning uncertain | Legendary king of Crete |
| Croesus | Meaning uncertain | Proverbially rich king of Lydia |
| Midas | Meaning uncertain | King of Phrygia, the “golden touch” |
| Numa | Possibly “law” | Second king of Rome |
| Hammurabi | “The kinsman is a healer” | Babylonian lawgiver |
| Musa | Arabic form of Moses | Mansa Musa of Mali |
| Sundiata | Possibly “hungering lion” | Founder of the Mali Empire |
| Menelik | “Son of the wise man” | Menelik II of Ethiopia |
| Shaka | From iShaka, a beetle blamed for his mother’s pregnancy (per tradition) | Shaka Zulu |
| Moctezuma | “He who frowns like a lord” | Aztec emperor |
| Pachacuti | “Earth-shaker” | Inca emperor |
| Kamehameha | “The lonely one” | Unified the Hawaiian Islands |
| Sejong | Temple name, “great ancestor” | Sejong the Great of Korea |
Legendary kings
Names from myth, romance and Shakespeare.
| Name | Meaning | Famous king |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur | Possibly “bear” | King Arthur of Camelot |
| Uther | Possibly “terrible” | Uther Pendragon |
| Lear | From Llŷr, a sea god | Shakespeare’s King Lear |
| Cymbeline | From Cunobelinus, “hound of Belenus” | British king, Shakespeare |
| Oberon | “Elf ruler” | King of the fairies |
| Mark | From Mars | King Mark of Cornwall |
| Pellinore | Meaning uncertain | Arthurian king, hunter of the Questing Beast |
How to choose a king name
- The most wearable king names are the ones still common today: Henry, Louis, Edward, Arthur and Frederick.
- For a distinctive but regal option, look to Scandinavian and Eastern European kings: Magnus, Casimir and Valdemar.
- Check the reputation of the king most people will think of first. Ivan and Ahab carry baggage; Alfred and Solomon carry wisdom.
- For fantasy writing, combine a real royal name with an epithet in the medieval style: “Aldric the Unready,” “Harald Stormborn.” See kingdom names for his realm.
- Female counterparts often exist: Frederica, Louisa, Henrietta, Georgina.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common king name?
Louis was used by eighteen kings of France, and names like Charles, Henry and Frederick were used across many European dynasties.
What are good king names for a boy?
Arthur, Henry, Louis, Alfred, Magnus, Leopold and Casimir are regal and easy to wear today.
What is a name that means king?
Rex (Latin), Ryan (possibly “little king,” Irish), Basil (Greek “kingly”) and Malik (Arabic) all mean king. See our full list of names that mean king.
Who was the first King of England?
Athelstan is generally considered the first king of all England, ruling from 927, though Alfred the Great laid the groundwork.
What are some legendary king names for fantasy?
Arthur, Uther, Lear, Oberon and Pellinore come from legend and literature and fit fantasy settings well.