102 *Timeless* & Romantic Victorian Baby Names With Meanings

I don’t know what it is about Victorian baby names, but they feel like poetry to me. There’s this blend of elegance + strength + romance that so many modern names just don’t have. When I hear a Victorian name, it feels like it instantly comes with a story, a character, a world. They feel like lace and leather, candlelight and hard-earned resilience. They feel like beauty that has stayed beautiful for over 100 years.

If you’re like me, you might be drawn to names that feel timeless — names that don’t sound trendy, but also don’t feel outdated. Victorian names absolutely fill that space. These names were used from the 1830s through the very early 1900s — and many of them have roots going much further back than that. Some were inspired by nature, some by literature, some by royalty, some by Biblical roots, and some by virtue and character.

Below are some of my favorite Victorian baby names — over 85 names — broken into themed categories, with meanings. These are the kinds of names that make my heart flutter when I see them written down.

More to read:

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• The Ultimate Baby Name List for 2026

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102 Victorian Baby Names

Now that we’ve talked about why Victorian names feel so special, let’s actually dive into some of my favorite ones. These are the names that make me swoon a little when I picture them written in elegant script or whispered out loud. I’ve broken them into categories so you can browse through whatever vibe, meaning, or era-inspired theme draws you in the most. Some are floral, some are literary, some belonged to royalty, and all of them have that old-world charm that hasn’t faded with time. Let’s take a look at some beautiful Victorian baby names — and their meanings — below.

01) Victorian girl names inspired by flowers + nature

These make me think of painted china teacups, botanical sketchbooks, and sunlit glass conservatories.

1. Lily — symbol of pure beauty
2. Rose — classic bloom meaning love
3. Violet — purple flower meaning modesty
4. Daisy — cheerful flower meaning innocence
5. Ivy — evergreen plant symbolizing fidelity
6. Flora — “flower”
7. Primrose — yellow wildflower meaning “first rose”
8. Marigold — golden flower meaning devotion
9. Lavender — purple herb associated with calm
10. Magnolia — flower symbolizing dignity
11. Olive — peaceful fruiting tree
12. Fern — green plant symbolizing sincerity

These are SO Victorian — because Victorians adored floriography (the language of flowers). In that era, flowers weren’t just pretty — they were messages. And that’s part of what I love about these names — they weren’t shallow choices. They meant something.

02) Victorian girl names that belonged to the aristocracy + debutantes

These names absolutely drip in old-world glam.

13. Arabella — “yielding to prayer”
14. Augusta — “majestic”
15. Beatrice — “bringer of happiness”
16. Celeste — “heavenly”
17. Eugenia — “wellborn”
18. Felicity — “happiness”
19. Gwendolyn — “blessed ring”
20. Helena — “shining, bright light”
21. Lavinia — ancient name meaning “purity”
22. Lillian — “beautiful flower”
23. Ophelia — “help” (Shakespearean and stunning)
24. Seraphina — “fiery one”

These are the names I imagine in ballroom scene novels — with candlelit chandeliers and piano solos playing in the background.

03) Literary Victorian girl names (inspired by novels, poets, and plays)

Victorians were readers and writers — words mattered deeply.

25. Charlotte — “free woman” (think Charlotte Brontë)
26. Ada — “noble” (Ada Lovelace, mathematician + writer)
27. Eleanor — “shining one”
28. Matilda — “battle mighty”
29. Josephine — “God will increase”
30. Clara — “bright, clear”
31. Harriet — “home ruler”
32. Edith — “riches, blessed”
33. Alice — “noble, truthful”
34. Julia — “youthful”
35. Sylvia — “from the forest”
36. Marian — “bitter grace”

I adore literary names because they carry stories already woven into them.

04) Biblical Victorian girl names

Victorians were deeply religious — Biblical names were everywhere.

37. Naomi — “pleasant”
38. Miriam — “beloved”
39. Ruth — “friend”
40. Esther — “star”
41. Lydia — “from Lydia” (Paul’s convert in the NT)
42. Sarah — “princess”
43. Hannah — “grace”
44. Rebecca — “to tie, to bind”
45. Abigail — “my father’s joy”
46. Martha — “lady, mistress”
47. Deborah — “bee”
48. Martha — “lady, mistress”

There’s something so grounded about these. They feel gentle but also deeply rooted.

05) Victorian boy names with literary/scholarly energy

Men in the Victorian era were expected to be strong in intellect + character.

49. Arthur — “noble, courageous”
50. Edmund — “wealthy protector”
51. Theodore — “gift of God”
52. Frederick — “peaceful ruler”
53. Edgar — “wealthy spear”
54. Walter — “commander of the army”
55. Roland — “famous throughout the land”
56. Phillip — “lover of horses”
57. Gilbert — “bright pledge”
58. Bernard — “strong, brave bear”
59. Augustus — “great, magnificent”
60. Percival — “pierces the valley”

These names make me think of leather-bound books, libraries with ladders, and candlelight studies.

06) Victorian boy names from royalty, politics, and nobility

Names that carry weight. Names that feel serious, grounded, and classic.

61. Albert — “noble and bright”
62. William — “resolute protector”
63. Henry — “estate ruler”
64. Edward — “wealthy guardian”
65. Francis — “free man”
66. George — “farmer, earthworker”
67. Charles — “free man”
68. Joseph — “God will add”
69. Leopold — “bold people”
70. Reginald — “counsel power”
71. Alexander — “defender of the people”
72. Clarence — royal title name

These are names that feel like they’d wear a waistcoat well.

07) Biblical Victorian boy names

These were everywhere in Western history — and they’re still timeless.

73. Samuel — “God has heard”
74. Elijah — “Yahweh is God”
75. Isaiah — “Yahweh is salvation”
76. Timothy — “honoring God”
77. Nathaniel — “gift of God”
78. Daniel — “God is my judge”
79. Thomas — “twin”
80. Jonathan — “God has given”
81. Benjamin — “son of the right hand”
82. Matthew — “gift of God”
83. Peter — “rock”
84. Andrew — “strong, manly”

These are the names that feel like they could be stamped inside an heirloom family Bible.

08) Soft + romantic Victorian boy names that feel wearable today

I love that these are gentle — yet grounded.

85. Julian — “youthful”
86. Silas — “forest, woods”
87. Laurence — “from the laurel tree”
88. Ambrose — “immortal”
89. Everett — “brave like a wild boar”
90. Lionel — “little lion”
91. Percy — “piercing the valley”
92. Wesley — “western meadow”
93. Cedric — “kindly and loved”
94. Alfie — “wise counselor”
95. Edwin — “rich friend”
96. Abel — “breath, vapor”

09) Victorian unisex names (used for both genders)

There weren’t many — but the few that existed are gorgeous.

97. Marion — “star of the sea”
98. Francis — “free man”
99. Ellis — “benevolent”
100. Emory — “industrious, brave”
101. Sidney — “wide meadow”
102. August — “great, magnificent”

What I personally love about Victorian names

I love that Victorian names sound like they could be found written in elegant script on an old birth certificate with foxed edges. But they also somehow feel totally usable today. They’re soft where modern names can sometimes be sharp. They are steady where modern names can feel fleeting.

Naming a child is so much more than just picking a pretty sound. It’s choosing a heritage and a future all at once. Victorian names give me that blend of grounded roots with a sense of delicate romanticism — and I think that’s why they’re having such a huge resurgence. They were beautiful then, and they’re still beautiful now.

And if you’re expecting a baby — or even just love name collecting (I do this constantly even when I’m not pregnant) — Victorian names are such a deep well to draw from. I don’t think they’re going anywhere. In fact… I think the world is circling back to them.

They remind us of a slower era, of craftsmanship, of hand-written letters, of intentional living. And that speaks to something deep inside us even now.