A name that means "Strong"

So I’m 14 weeks pregnant and though we will find out the sex in a month or so, the whole family is offering up names to us this week, so we can’t help but start diving in. We originally were going to name after my grandfather, [name]Sol[/name], who passed away in 2006. But last week, my other grandfather (at the age of 96 and after being sick for a long while) passed away. Since we’re Jewish, it’s important to us to name after recently deceased family members.

So now we need a boy’s name that works for both grandpas. (If the baby’s a girl, we will still name after my two grandpas–but that’ll be another thread.) Because of the Jewish thing, the baby will have two sets of first and middle names, one in English and one in Hebrew. We have an idea of how to incorporate my grandfathers’ names in Hebrew, and maybe an English middle. But we’re still missing the most important part: An English first name. Here’s what we’re thinking:

Paternal Grandpa’s names: English, “[name]Bernard[/name] [name]Mendel[/name]”, known exclusively as [name]Bernie[/name], & Hebrew, “[name]Beryl[/name] [name]Mendel[/name]”. [name]Bernard[/name] means “Strong as a [name]Bear[/name]” and “[name]Beryl[/name]” in Yiddish is a diminutive of Ber, meaning [name]Bear[/name]. [name]Both[/name] meanings were really perfect for my tiny grandfather who was a crazy strong football star in his younger days. “[name]Mendel[/name]” is a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew “[name]Menachem[/name]”, which means “the comforter”

Maternal Grandpa’s names: English, “[name]Sol[/name]” with a sometimes nn of “[name]Solly[/name]”(he had a nickname name and no middle name) & Hebrew, “[name]Shlomo[/name]” ([name]Solomon[/name] in Hebrew). [name]Both[/name] mean peace.

For the baby’s Hebrew name, we’re thinking “[name]Baer[/name] [name]Shlomo[/name]”, for obvious reasons. Technically [name]Baer[/name] is Yiddish (or [name]German[/name]), but it’s common for part or all of a Hebrew name to be Yiddish, so we’re fine with that. It’s still written with Hebrew letters. Any opinions on this name are appreciated–even though it’s not on the birth certificate, it’ll be formally used in Hebrew school and synagogue.

For the baby’s English name, DH suggested today (to my surprise) using [name]Solomon[/name] as a middle. Paired with the right first name, it could be charming in an old man name kinda way. And I am a big fan of vintage charm. I also like that it has 3 syllables because our last name, Katz, is so short. For the baby’s first name, we really want more than anything a name that we love. So we’re going to be more flexible. I think it would be very cool for the first name to mean “strength” or “strong” or something similar. That way, the baby’s first names would both attribute to [name]Bernie[/name] and his middle names would attribute to [name]Sol[/name]. That said, we don’t care what letter it starts with. We’re more interested in meaning and sound (and I love fun nickname ideas). Any ideas?

________ [name]Solomon[/name] Katz, nn ____

[name]Valentine[/name]/[name]Valentin[/name] came to mind. I know it means healthy which relates to strong in my mind.

Also, [name]Ethan[/name] I believe means strong, and I think it’s supposed to be Hebrew in origin. At least according to nameberry.
[name]Ethan[/name] [name]Solomon[/name] Katz is a brilliant combo imo. I love it personally.

[name]Andrew[/name] also means strong
[name]Arnold[/name] means strong as an eagle
[name]Harvey[/name] means battle worthy which relates to strength to me
I got these names from this list: 17 Boy Names That Mean Powerful | Nameberry

Names that mean strength:
[name]Leonardo[/name] or [name]Leonard[/name] or [name]Leo[/name] = strong as a lion
[name]Leo[/name] [name]Solomon[/name] is nice
[name]Malin[/name] = strong little warrior
[name]Malin[/name] [name]Solomon[/name] works well too.

Click on the “Super Search” & you can indicate the meaning you wish to search for as well as any other criteria you want to put in. There are 40 names there that have the word “strength” in the meaning :slight_smile:

[name]Just[/name] throwing it out there that [name]Dov[/name] is Hebrew for bear, and is commonly combined with Ber or used as a namesake. [name]Dov[/name] [name]Shlomo[/name] is nice too :slight_smile:

[name]Arthur[/name] comes from words that mean bear, [name]Art[/name] or [name]Artie[/name] are cute nicknames.

I was going to suggest [name]Arthur[/name] as well. [name]Arthur[/name] [name]Solomon[/name] is an incredible name!

I love [name]Arthur[/name] too! And for all the same reasons–DH nixed it though. The other names here just aren’t us. I like [name]Ethan[/name], but it’s too close to my dad’s name, [name]Evan[/name], for comfort. (Not only do we name after the deceased, we avoid like the plague naming after the living. A very frustrating tradition.)

So maybe we should forget “strong” and move on to what sounds nice with __ [name]Solomon[/name] Katz. I love vintage charm names and I’m not really interested in anything biblical (the Hebrew name takes care of that as far as I’m concerned). [name]One[/name] of my favorite names of all time is [name]Miles[/name]. DH doesn’t love it, so I’m trying to open my mind. And I’m not so sure [name]Miles[/name] [name]Solomon[/name] Katz works with that double “s”. So I might save [name]Miles[/name] for a potential future son.

I know you’re probably not considering it, since you posted this thread in the first place, but I really like [name]Bernard[/name] nn [name]Bernie[/name] itself. I know someone with this name and I feel like it’s kind of fresh and unexpected on a young person.

Oh what about [name]Albert[/name]? It means noble, but it has the -ber- in it.