Names That Mean Brave
If you’ve ever wondered why so many old names end in -bald or -hard, here’s the answer: both are Germanic words for “bold” and “brave.” Archibald, Leopold, Richard and Bernard all wear their courage in plain sight, and the Greek Andrew comes from andreios, “manly, courageous.” Elsewhere, bravery is spelled Veer in Hindi, Jasiri in Swahili, Yiğit in Turkish and Koa in Hawaiian.
We’ve gathered more than 90 names that genuinely mean brave, bold, fearless or valiant, with a dedicated section for girls. For names that lean toward fighting spirit, see names that mean warrior; for sheer power, try names that mean strength. Or return to our full guide to name meanings.
Germanic names that mean brave or bold
The elements bald (bold) and hard (brave, hardy) turn up in dozens of names brought to England by the Normans. Many are classic strong boy names today.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Archibald | Genuine and bold | Germanic / Scottish |
| Archie | Short for Archibald, “genuine and bold” | English / Scottish |
| Baldwin | Bold friend | Germanic |
| Baldric | Bold ruler | Germanic |
| Ubaldo | Bold mind, bold spirit | Italian (Germanic) |
| Leopold | Brave people | Germanic |
| Theobald | Bold people | Germanic |
| Thibault | Bold people (French form of Theobald) | French |
| Richard | Brave ruler | Germanic |
| Ricardo | Brave ruler | Spanish / Portuguese |
| Bernard | Brave as a bear | Germanic |
| Bernhard | Brave as a bear | German |
| Bernardo | Brave as a bear | Spanish / Italian |
| Leonard | Brave lion | Germanic |
| Leonardo | Brave lion | Italian / Spanish |
| Gerard | Brave spear | Germanic |
| Gerardo | Brave spear | Spanish / Italian |
| Everett | Brave as a wild boar | English (Germanic) |
| Everard | Brave as a wild boar | Germanic |
| Eberhard | Brave as a wild boar | German |
| Conrad | Bold counsel | Germanic |
| Kurt | Bold counsel (short for Konrad) | German |
| Kuno | Brave, bold | German |
| Reinhard | Brave counsel | German |
| Hardy | Bold, hardy | English / French |
| Harding | Son of the brave one | English |
More European names meaning brave or valiant
The Greek word andreia (courage) gave rise to Andrew and its many international forms — one of the most widespread brave names on earth.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew | Manly, brave | Greek |
| Andreas | Manly, brave | Greek / German |
| André | Manly, brave | French / Portuguese |
| Andrés | Manly, brave | Spanish |
| Andrei | Manly, brave | Russian / Romanian |
| Anders | Manly, brave | Scandinavian |
| Drew | Short for Andrew, “brave” | English / Scottish |
| Fergal | Man of valor | Irish |
| Valor | Courage, bravery | English word name |
Girl names that mean brave
Brave meanings are rarer for girls, which makes these names stand out. For fighters and heroines, see our female warrior names and strong girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bernadette | Brave as a bear | French (Germanic) |
| Bernadine | Brave as a bear | French / English |
| Bernarda | Brave as a bear | Spanish |
| Ricarda | Brave ruler | Spanish / German |
| Leonarda | Brave lion | Italian |
| Leopoldina | Brave people | Portuguese / German |
| Andrea | Courageous (from Greek andreia) | Greek / Italian |
| Andreia | Courage | Portuguese / Greek |
| Andria | Courageous | Greek / English |
| Veera | Brave woman | Sanskrit |
| Abhaya | Fearless | Sanskrit |
| Jasira | Bold, daring | Arabic |
Arabic, Persian and Turkic names meaning brave
Turkic peoples prized courage in names — Alparslan, “brave lion,” was a famous 11th-century Seljuk sultan. More in our Turkish names and Persian names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Shuja | Brave | Arabic |
| Shujaat | Bravery, valor | Arabic / Urdu |
| Jasir | Bold, daring | Arabic |
| Jasur | Brave, fearless | Uzbek |
| Bahadur | Brave, hero | Turkic / Persian |
| Dilawar | Brave-hearted | Persian / Urdu |
| Dalir | Brave | Persian |
| Himmat | Courage, resolve | Persian / Urdu |
| Yiğit | Brave young man | Turkish |
| Cesur | Brave | Turkish |
| Alp | Brave, hero | Turkic |
| Alparslan | Brave lion | Turkic |
| Batur | Brave, hero | Turkic |
South and East Asian names that mean brave
In Chinese and Japanese, the character 勇 (yǒng, isamu, yū) means courage. Hindi and Sanskrit names build on vīra, “hero.” See our Indian boy names and Japanese boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Veer | Brave | Sanskrit / Hindi |
| Virendra | Lord of the brave | Sanskrit |
| Shaurya | Bravery, heroism | Sanskrit |
| Vikram | Valor | Sanskrit |
| Vikrant | Brave, powerful | Sanskrit |
| Abhay | Fearless | Sanskrit |
| Nirbhay | Fearless | Sanskrit / Hindi |
| Nidar | Fearless | Hindi |
| Sahas | Courage | Sanskrit |
| Pratap | Valor, glory | Sanskrit |
| Dhairya | Courage, patience | Sanskrit |
| Yong | Brave (勇) | Chinese |
| Xiong | Heroic, mighty (雄) | Chinese |
| Isamu | Courage (勇) | Japanese |
| Yūki | Courage (勇気); unisex | Japanese |
| Takeshi | Warrior-like, brave (武) | Japanese |
| Dũng | Brave | Vietnamese |
| Hùng | Heroic, strong | Vietnamese |
| Bayani | Hero | Tagalog (Filipino) |
African and Pacific names that mean brave
Yoruba names starting with Akin- (“valor, brave man”) are a whole family of courage names. In Hawaiian, koa means both “brave” and the prized koa tree. See also Swahili names and Hawaiian boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Jasiri | Brave, bold | Swahili |
| Shujaa | Hero, brave one | Swahili |
| Hodari | Strong, capable, brave | Swahili |
| Jabari | Brave, fearless | Swahili (from Arabic) |
| Akin | Brave man, hero | Yoruba |
| Akinyemi | Valor suits me | Yoruba |
| Akinola | Valor and wealth | Yoruba |
| Akinwale | Valor has come home | Yoruba |
| Dike | Brave, strong man | Igbo |
| Koa | Brave, bold; the koa tree (unisex) | Hawaiian |
| Kekoa | The brave one | Hawaiian |
| Toa | Brave, warrior, champion | Samoan / Tongan |
Tips for picking a brave name
- Choose hidden or obvious. Everett, Bernard and Andrew hide their meaning; Valor, Veer and Koa announce it.
- Consider the nickname. Archibald softens to Archie, Leonardo to Leo, Bernadette to Bette or Detta, Everett to Rhett.
- Balance a bold name. A fierce first name pairs well with a gentle middle, like Leonard Oliver or Bernadette Rose. Our names that mean peace offers ideas.
- Check the context. A few courage words also have political or military associations in their home language; ask a native speaker if you’re unsure.
- Look to legends. Our knight names and mythology boy names are full of heroes who lived up to their names.
Frequently asked questions
What name means brave for a boy?
Andrew, Everett, Leonard, Richard, Bernard, Archibald and Conrad all mean brave or bold. Outside English, Veer (Hindi), Jasiri (Swahili), Yiğit (Turkish) and Koa (Hawaiian) are popular choices.
What girl name means brave?
Bernadette (“brave as a bear”), Andrea (“courageous”), Ricarda (“brave ruler”), Leonarda (“brave lion”), Veera (“brave woman”) and Abhaya (“fearless”) are good options.
Does Leonardo mean brave?
Yes. Leonardo is the Italian form of Leonard, from Germanic elements meaning “lion” and “brave, hardy” — so “brave lion.”
What Hawaiian name means brave?
Koa means “brave, bold, fearless” and is also the name of a native Hawaiian tree. Kekoa means “the brave one.”
What name means fearless?
Abhay and Abhaya (Sanskrit), Nirbhay and Nidar (Hindi) and Jabari (Swahili) are commonly given with the meaning “fearless.”