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Baby Names Starting
with F
FABIAN: Latin for
"bean." A beach-blanket heartthrob in the
fifties, a society of intellectuals in the late nineteenth
century. Relatives: Fabius, Fab, Fabyan, Fabia, Fabya,
Fabiana. Namesakes: Fabio.
FAIRFAX: Old English
for "blond-haired." Oh, so classy. Relatives:
Fairfield. Namesakes: Fairfield Osborn, Fairfax (Va.)
FAITH: From the
Latin for "trust." One of the prettiest and most
enduring of the virtue names. Relatives: Faithful, Faythe,
Fayth, Fido, Fidel, Fidelity. Namesakes: Faith Daniels,
Percy Faith, Marianne Faithful.
FARLEY: Old English
for "distant meadow." In Scotland and Ireland a
farl is a little muffin. Relatives: Fairley, Fairleigh,
Farland. Namesakes: Farley Granger, Fairleigh Dickinson
University.
FARRAH: Old English
for "beautiful" and Latin for "wild
ass." Stick with the Old English. Relatives: Farah,
Farra. Namesake: Farrah Fawcett.
FARRAR: Latin for
"blacksmith." Unusual and interesting.
Relatives: Farra, Farar, Farron, Faron, Farrier.
Namesakes: "Brat Farrar," Faron Young.
FARRELL: Old English
for "man of valor." This name screams Ivy League
and a seat on the stock exchange. Relatives: Farrel,
Farrow. Namesakes: Mila Farrell, Mia Farrow.
FAWN: From the Latin
for "young deer." A.k.a. Bambi. Relatives: Faun,
Fauna, Fawne, Fawna. Namesake: Fawn Hall.
FAY: Old French for
"fairy." In Scotland, to be "fey" is
to have a sixth sense or be especially prophetic.
Relatives: Faye, Fey. Namesakes: Fay Wray, Faye Dunaway,
"Morgane Le Fay."
FELICIA: Feminine of
"Felix." Relatives: Felice, Felicity, Felisse,
Feliciana, Felyce, Phylice, Philicia, Phylicia. Namesake:
Phylicia Rashad.
FELIX: Latin for
"happiness." four popes chose this name.
Relative: Felice. Namesakes: Felix Frankfurter, Felix
Rohayton, "Felix the Cat."
FERDINAND: Old
German for "courageous traveler." A royal name
in the Spanish monarchy. Relatives: Ferdie, Ferdy, Ferde,
Ferd, Fernando, Fernandas. Namesakes: King Ferdinand,
Ferde Grofé, "Ferdinand the Bull."
FERGUS: Irish Gaelic
for "strong man." This name sounds like it came
directly from the Highlands. Buy this kid a kilt.
Relatives: Ferguson, Fergie, Fergy, Fergun. Namesakes:
Ferguson Jenkins, Sarah Ferguson (Princess "Fergie"),
James Fergus.
FERN: Old English
for "leafy plant." According to ancient lore,
fern seeds were thought to make one invisible. Relatives:
Ferne, Fearn, Fearne, Fernly.
FERRIS: Latin for
"iron." Relatives: Ferrys, Ferrell, Ferrel.
Namesake: "Ferris Bueller," Ferris Wheel.
FIELDING: Old
English for "field." Strong and solid.
Relatives: Field, Fielder. Namesakes: Fielder Jones, Henry
Fielding.
FINNIAN: Irish for
"fair-haired." Another choice from the Emerald
Isle. Relatives: Finn, Finnie, Finny, Finian, Finley, Fyn,
Fynn. Namesake: Finian's Rainbow.
FIONA: Old English
for "white." Perfectly beautiful. This name has
always been popular in the British Isles. Relatives: Fione,
Fionn. Namesake: Fiona St. Aubyn.
FITZ: From the Latin
for "son." Fitz names were commonly given to the
illegitimate sons of royalty. Relatives: Fitzgerald,
Fitzroy, Fitzhugh, Fitzpatrick. Namesakes: John Fitzgerald
Kennedy, Barry Fitzgerald.
FLANNERY: From the
Old French for "sheet of metal." A strong name
for a boy or girl. Relatives: Flan, Flann. Namesakes:
Flannery O'Connor, Flann O'Brien.
FLEMING: A native of
Flanders. Relative: Flemming. Namesakes: Ian Fleming,
Peggy Fleming.
FLETCHER: From the
Old French for "seller of arrows." An ancient
occupational name. Perfect for a little Sagittarian.
Relative: Flemming
FLORENCE: Latin for
"blooming flower" or "flourishing." An
old-fashioned beauty that is just beginning to return to
popularity. Relatives: Flora, Floria, Florida, Florie,
Floris, Florrie, Fleur, Flower, Florenz, Florentia, Flory,
Floryn, Flossie, Flo. Namesakes: Florence Eiseman,
Florence Henderson, Flo Ziegfeld, Florence Joyner.
FLYNN: Irish for
"son of the red-haired man." Relatives: Flinn,
Flin, Flyn. Namesake: Errol Flynn
FORD: Old English
for "river crossing." Better than Toyota.
Namesakes: Henry Ford, Harrison Ford.
FORREST: Old French
for "out of the woods." A good choice if you're
having trouble deciding between Birch and Ash. Relatives:
Forest, Forestt, Forrestt, Forrester, Forster. Namesakes:
Forrest Tucker, E.M. Forster, De Forest Kelly.
FOSTER: From the Old
French for "forest keeper." This also means
"to cherish or sustain," as in "foster
child." Namesakes: Foster Grant, John Foster Dulles,
Jodie Foster.
FRANCES: From the
Old French for "free." An androgynous name,
though "Frances" is usually used for a girl and
"Francis" for a boy. Relatives: Francis, Fanchon,
Francesca, Fran, Franny, Fanny, Frannie, Frank, Frankie,
Francine, Franz, Franco. Namesakes: Frances Farmer, Fran
Tarkenton, Sir Francis Drake, Francine du Plessix Gray,
Franco Harris, Franz Kafka
FRANKLIN: From the
Old French for "free man." Relatives: Frank,
Frankie, Franklyn. Namesakes: Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Benjamin Franklin.
FRASER: Unknown,
possibly Old French for "strawberry." Relatives:
Frazer, Fraiser, Frazier. Namesakes: Fraser Heston, Walt
Frazier, "Fraiser Crane."
FREDERICK: Old
German for "peaceful ruler." A fine old name
with a long tradition among European royalty. Relatives:
Frederic, Fredericka, Frederica, Frederika, Fred, Freddie,
Freddy, Fritz, Fritzie, Fritzi. Namesakes: Frederick
Forsyth, Frederick Douglass, Frederica von Stade, Fritz
Weaver.
FREMONT: Old German
for "guardian of freedom." Namesake: Eliot
Fremont-Smith.
FRIEDA: Old German
for "peace." Frieda is not particularly
fashionable these days; try Frederica. Relatives: Friede,
Freida, Fredie, Freda, Winifred. Namesakes: Freida Payne,
Frieda (Mrs. D.H.) Lawrence
FULLER: Old English
for "one who works with cloth." A surname rarely
used as a first. Namesakes: Buckminster Fuller, Thomas
Fuller, Fuller Brush man.
FULTON: Old English
for "town near the field." Namesakes: Fulton
Sheen, Samuel Fulton, Robert Fulton.
~ THE BEST NAME FOR
YOUR BABY: A CREATIVE GUIDE TO PROPER NAMES, by Barbara
Binswanger and Lisbeth Mark. Henry Holt and Co., New York,
1990. |
