Gypsies, also known as Romani, Roma or Travellers, are a nomadic people who live a traditional travelling lifestyle across Europe. DNA evidence suggests that they originally arrived from India about 1,500 years ago, and they are an ethnically diverse community.
Some Gypsies in Britain use common English first names such as Mary, Esther, Joseph and Henry, but more unusual names are also frequent in Gypsy culture.
The following are all traditional Gypsy names. If you find ancestors with these names, that could mean that they were Gypsies.
Gypsy girls names
Athalia
Hebrew name meaning 'God is exalted'.
Britannia
Latin name meaning 'From Great Britain or Brittany', also used to refer to the symbolic personification of Great Britain.
Cinderella
From the French Cendrillon, meaning 'little ashes', and made famous by the fairytale Cinderella.
Clementina
Latin name meaning 'merciful'.
Freedom
From the noun meaning 'liberty', with origins in Old English.
Ocean
From the word for the sea, with origins in Greek.
Reservoir
From the French meaning 'storehouse' or 'collection place'.
Sabina
Latin, from the name of the Sabine tribe.
Tryphena
Greek name meaning 'delicacy', 'daintiness' or 'softness'.
Unity
From the Latin 'unus' meaning 'one'.
Other Gypsy girls names include Anselina, Dotia, Fairnette, Gentilia, Lementeni, Mizelli, Sinfai and Vancy.
Gypsy boys names
Elijah
Hebrew name meaning 'Yahweh is God'.
Ezekial
Hebrew name meaning 'strength of God'.
Gilderoy
Irish name meaning 'son of the red head'.
Hezekiah
Hebrew name meaning 'God strengthens'.
Liberty
From the Latin word 'liber', meaning 'free'.
Mackensie
From the Gaelic 'coinneach', meaning 'comely' or 'handsome'.
Major
From the Latin 'maior', meaning 'greater'.
Nehemiah
Hebrew name meaning 'God comforts'.
Neptune
From the name of the Roman god of the sea.
Noah
Hebrew name meaning 'rest' or 'repose'.
Reuben
Hebrew name meaning 'behold, a son'.
Shadrack
A Babylonian name that refers to a character in the Bible.
Silvanus
From the name of the Roman god of the woods.
Valentine
Latin name meaning 'strong' or 'healthy'.
Other Gypsy boys names include Amberline, Belcher, Dangerfield, Nelson, Shady and Vandlo.
