The Titanic carried more than 2,200 souls when it set sail from Southampton on April 10, 1912. Among them were industrialists, immigrants, socialites, stokers, and stewards, a cross-section of the Edwardian world that makes the ship’s passenger and crew manifest one of the most compelling name lists in history. If you love Titanic names for their romance, their era, or their stories, you are in the right place.
This article is organized by theme: the first-class luminaries, the heroic crew, the immigrant travelers in steerage, the women who survived, and the figures whose names have been borrowed by fiction and baby-name culture alike. Every person here was real, and every story is worth knowing.
First-Class Passengers: The Famous and the Fabulously Named
First class on the Titanic was a who’s who of Gilded Age society. These names carry enormous historical weight and, not coincidentally, are some of the most stylish on the entire manifest.
John Jacob
John Jacob Astor IV was the wealthiest passenger aboard, an American real-estate magnate and colonel who went down with the ship. The double-barreled given name John Jacob was a family tradition passed through generations of the Astor dynasty, and it has a solid, old-money gravity that holds up well today.
Margaret
Margaret “Molly” Brown is the most famous female survivor of the disaster, a Colorado socialite who reportedly urged the crew of her lifeboat to row back for survivors. Margaret is a Greek-origin name meaning “pearl,” and Molly’s story gave it a fierce, indomitable energy it has never quite lost.
Benjamin
Benjamin Guggenheim descended into the ship’s depths in evening dress, reportedly saying he would “die like a gentleman.” The name Benjamin is Hebrew in origin, meaning “son of the right hand,” and it has been a steady, beloved classic ever since. The image of Guggenheim’s dignified end lends it an almost cinematic weight in Titanic lore.
Isidor
Isidor Straus co-owned Macy’s department store and refused to board a lifeboat while other men remained on deck. He and his wife Ida died together. Isidor is a Greek-origin name meaning “gift of Isis,” and though it is rare today, it carries tremendous quiet dignity.
Ida
Ida Straus stayed beside her husband Isidor rather than take a seat on a lifeboat, making theirs one of the most heartbreaking love stories the disaster produced. Ida is an old Germanic name, likely rooted in the element “id” meaning “work” or “labor,” and it has a spare, strong quality that suits a woman of that stature perfectly.
Arthur
Arthur Ryerson was a Pennsylvania steel magnate traveling with his family. Arthur is a name with deep Celtic and possibly Latin roots, long associated with legendary leadership, and it was solidly aristocratic in Edwardian first-class circles.
Walter
Walter Douglas was a Minneapolis businessman who perished in the sinking. Walter is Old High German in origin, meaning “ruler of the army,” and it was a thoroughly respectable name among the American upper class of the era.
Clarence
Clarence Moore was a Washington socialite and Master of Foxhounds who went down with the ship. Clarence is a Latin-origin name derived from the title of the Duke of Clarence, and it has a deliciously old-fashioned quality that is quietly gaining admirers again.
Charles
Charles Melville Hays was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway and one of the most prominent businessmen aboard. Charles is a Germanic name meaning “free man,” and it has been a top-tier classic for centuries — used by royalty and industrialists alike.
Archibald
Archibald Gracie IV was a first-class passenger and U.S. Army colonel who survived and wrote one of the earliest detailed accounts of the sinking. Archibald is an Old Germanic name meaning “genuine and bold,” and it has a commanding, slightly eccentric charm that puts it firmly back on the radar for adventurous namers.
The Officers and Crew: Duty-Bound Names
The Titanic’s crew included some extraordinary individuals whose names deserve as much attention as the passengers they served.
Edward
Edward John Smith was the Titanic’s captain, a White Star Line veteran on what was supposed to be his final voyage before retirement. He went down with his ship. Edward is an Old English name meaning “wealthy guardian,” one of the most enduring English names in recorded history.
Harold
Harold Bride was the junior wireless operator who, along with senior operator Jack Phillips, sent the ship’s distress calls until the last possible moment. Harold is an Old English name meaning “army ruler,” and in Bride’s case it belongs to one of the genuine heroes of April 15, 1912.
Jack (John)
Jack Phillips was the senior Marconi wireless operator who stayed at his post transmitting distress signals until he could no longer continue. Jack is a medieval English diminutive of John, itself from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning “God is gracious,” and it has been a name associated with courage and dependability for centuries.
Herbert
Herbert John Pitman was the Titanic’s third officer and one of the survivors who later gave testimony at the official inquiries. Herbert is an Old Germanic name meaning “bright army,” and it has a solid, quietly distinguished quality common among Edwardian naval officers.
Joseph
Joseph Boxhall was the fourth officer, who survived and was responsible for calculating the ship’s distress position. Joseph is a Hebrew name meaning “God will add” or “God will increase,” one of the great biblical classic names that has never really gone out of style.
Second-Class Passengers: The Overlooked Middle
Second class on the Titanic was by most accounts as comfortable as first class on any other ship. The passengers here included teachers, clergy, writers, and professionals whose names are less famous but no less interesting.
Lawrence
Lawrence Beesley was a science teacher and second-class survivor who wrote one of the most important firsthand accounts of the sinking, published just weeks after the disaster. Lawrence is a Latin-origin name derived from Laurentum, the city of laurels, and it has a scholarly, composed quality that suits its most famous Titanic bearer perfectly.
Charlotte
Charlotte Collyer was a second-class passenger traveling with her husband and daughter to start a new life in Idaho. Her husband did not survive; Charlotte and her daughter did. Charlotte is a French feminine diminutive of Charles, meaning “free woman,” and it has been a powerhouse classic across centuries.
Sylvia
Sylvia Caldwell was a second-class passenger and survivor. Sylvia is a Latin name meaning “of the forest,” derived from the word silva, and it has an elegant, slightly literary quality that feels genuinely underused in 2026.
Reginald
Reginald Byles was a Catholic priest traveling in second class who reportedly spent his final hours hearing confessions and calming passengers. Reginald is a Latin-origin name meaning “counsel power,” and it has a stately, almost ecclesiastical dignity.
Marion
Marion Wright was a second-class passenger traveling alone to marry her fiance in Oregon. She survived. Marion is a French diminutive of Marie, ultimately from the Hebrew Miriam, and it has a gentle, old-fashioned appeal that is quietly charming.
Edwina
Edwina Troutt was a second-class survivor from Bath, England, who later gave interviews about the disaster well into the twentieth century. Edwina is the feminine form of Edwin, an Old English name meaning “wealthy friend,” and it has a crisp, vintage English quality that deserves more attention.
Third-Class and Steerage: The Immigrant Names
More than half of the Titanic’s passengers traveled in third class, and the manifest reads like a map of early twentieth-century migration — Irish, Scandinavian, Lebanese, Finnish, and Eastern European names appear alongside English ones. These are some of the most culturally rich Titanic names on the entire ship.
Bridget
Several Irish women named Bridget traveled in steerage, reflecting the name’s dominance in early twentieth-century Irish Catholic culture. Bridget is an anglicization of the Irish Brighid, meaning “exalted one” or “strength,” and it is having a genuine revival among parents who love vintage Irish names.
Johan
Johan Svensson was among the many Scandinavian men traveling in third class, often heading to the American Midwest. Johan is the Scandinavian and Dutch form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan, and it reads as both familiar and quietly international.
Anna
Multiple women named Anna appear in third class, from Finnish, Swedish, and Eastern European backgrounds. Anna is the Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew Hannah, meaning “grace” or “favor,” and it is one of the most cross-cultural names in the Western world.
Olaus
Olaus Abelseth was a Norwegian third-class passenger who survived by jumping into the ocean as the ship went under and swimming to a collapsible lifeboat. Olaus is a Latinized form of the Old Norse Óláfr, meaning “ancestor’s relic,” and it is a rare, distinctive name with a genuine Viking backbone.
Elias
Several passengers from Lebanon and Syria traveling in third class carried the name Elias, the Greek and Arabic form of the Hebrew Elijah meaning “my God is Yahweh.” The Lebanese and Syrian community on board the Titanic is one of the lesser-known chapters of the disaster’s history.
Bertha
Bertha Mulvihill was an Irish third-class passenger who survived the sinking. Bertha is an Old Germanic name meaning “bright” or “famous,” and it has a solid, warm quality that puts it firmly in the category of names ripe for vintage revival.
Karl
Karl Johnsson was one of many Scandinavian men traveling in steerage toward a new life in America. Karl is the Germanic form of Charles, meaning “free man,” and it has a clean, strong simplicity that works just as well today as it did a century ago.
Noel
Noel Malachard was a third-class passenger who did not survive. Noel is a French name meaning “Christmas,” traditionally given to children born on or near December 25, and it has an elegant, slightly unexpected quality for a name that is technically seasonal.
Children on the Titanic: Names That Carry Particular Weight
The fates of the children on the Titanic became central to public grief over the disaster. Several of the youngest passengers carried names that feel both of their era and surprisingly current.
Millvina
Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger aboard at just nine weeks old, and she became the last surviving Titanic passenger, dying in 2009. Millvina is an extremely rare name, likely a family creation, and it is now permanently tied to the most extraordinary survival story the ship produced.
Michel
Michel Navratil Jr. and his brother Edmond were the famous “Titanic orphans” — French boys traveling under assumed names with their father, who did not survive. Michel is the French form of Michael, from the Hebrew meaning “who is like God,” and the brothers’ story was one of the most widely reported human-interest stories of 1912.
Edmond
Edmond Navratil traveled alongside his brother Michel as one of the Titanic orphans. Edmond is the French form of Edmund, an Old English name meaning “wealthy protector,” and it has a graceful, slightly formal quality that pairs beautifully with the brother name Michel.
Nina
Nina Harper was a young girl traveling with her father, Reverend John Harper, who perished in the sinking. Nina survived. Nina is a name used across many cultures — a diminutive in Spanish and Slavic traditions, and an independent name in others — generally understood to mean “little girl” or “grace.”
Frankie
Frankie Coutts was a young Scottish boy in third class who survived. Frankie is a warm, affectionate diminutive of Francis or Frank, from the Latin Franciscus meaning “Frenchman” or “free one,” and it has a bright, unpretentious charm that feels very alive in 2026.
Women Who Survived: Names That Carry Resilience
The “women and children first” protocol meant that survival rates among women — especially in first and second class — were significantly higher than among men. These survivors and their names became part of the Titanic’s lasting story.
Madeleine
Madeleine Astor was the young, pregnant wife of John Jacob Astor IV, and she survived the sinking. Madeleine is the French form of Magdalene, meaning “woman from Magdala,” and it has a refined, slightly melancholy beauty that makes it one of the most quietly fashionable Edwardian names.
Eleanor
Eleanor Widener survived the sinking, having lost both her husband George and son Harry. Eleanor is a name of debated origin — likely Old French or Occitan — that has been associated with strong, aristocratic women from Eleanor of Aquitaine forward, and it remains one of the most enduring English classic names.
Lucy
Lucy Noël Martha Dyer-Edwardes, Countess of Rothes, was a first-class survivor who reportedly helped row her lifeboat and calm other survivors. Lucy is a Latin name meaning “light,” from the root lux, and it has a brightness and simplicity that have kept it consistently beloved.
Violet
Violet Jessop was a stewardess aboard the Titanic who survived — and had also survived the sinking of the Titanic’s sister ship HMHS Britannic and been aboard the Olympic during a collision. Violet is a flower name from the Latin viola, and Jessop’s extraordinary record makes it one of the most charmed names in maritime history.
Edith
Edith Rosenbaum (later Russell) was a first-class fashion journalist and survivor who became famous for the musical toy pig she credited with helping keep children calm in the lifeboats. Edith is an Old English name meaning “prosperous in war,” and it has a sharp, vintage quality that is firmly back in fashion.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Shutes was a governess and first-class survivor who wrote a vivid account of the night. Elizabeth is one of the great Hebrew-origin names, from Elisheba meaning “my God is an oath” or “my God is abundance,” and it has been a constant presence in the English-speaking world for centuries.
Men Who Stayed: Names Bound to Sacrifice
The Titanic’s death toll among men was staggering, and several of the most memorable figures from that night are men who could have survived but chose not to.
Wallace
Wallace Hartley was the bandmaster who kept the orchestra playing as the ship went down, a story that became one of the most enduring images of the disaster. Wallace is a Scottish name from the Old French meaning “foreigner” or “Welshman,” and Hartley’s story has given it a deeply dignified, almost elegiac quality.
Thomas
Thomas Andrews was the ship’s chief designer, who spent his final hours helping passengers find lifejackets and guiding people to the boats before going down with the ship he built. Thomas is an Aramaic name meaning “twin,” and Andrews’ story makes it one of the most quietly heroic names on the entire manifest.
William
William McMaster Murdoch was the first officer who was in charge of the bridge at the moment of the iceberg collision and who died in the sinking. William is a Germanic name meaning “resolute protector,” one of the most consistently popular English names in history.
Frederick
Frederick Fleet was the lookout who first spotted the iceberg and gave the warning. He survived and lived with the weight of that night for decades. Frederick is a Germanic name meaning “peaceful ruler,” and it has a classic, slightly underused quality that makes it appealing to parents who love traditional names with real depth.
Henry
Henry Tingle Wilde was the Titanic’s chief officer, who perished in the sinking. Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” a top-tier classic that has been in continuous, heavy use for centuries and shows no sign of slowing down.
How to Use Titanic Names for Baby Name Inspiration
The Titanic manifest is genuinely one of the best vintage name resources available, because it captures Edwardian naming culture at its peak — before the disruptions of World War One reshaped the English-speaking world’s relationship with tradition. If you are drawn to Titanic names, here are a few ways to approach them.
Look first at the names that were common then but are rare now. Clarence, Archibald, Isidor, Edwina, and Reginald all appeared on the manifest in everyday use, not as unusual choices. Today they read as distinctive and considered. That gap between “once-ordinary” and “now-rare” is exactly where the most interesting vintage names live.
Pay attention to the immigrant names in steerage. The Scandinavian, Irish, and Lebanese names on the third-class manifest are often the most culturally resonant and the least used in contemporary English-speaking baby-name culture. A name like Olaus or Johan carries history and a distinct sound without being either trendy or obscure.
Consider the stories as much as the sounds. A name like Wallace or Thomas or Violet carries a specific Titanic narrative, and for many parents that kind of layered meaning — historical, human, specific — is exactly what they want behind a name. The best names tell a story, and the Titanic manifest has more stories per page than almost any document of its era.
Finally, do not overlook the crew. The officers, wireless operators, stewards, and stokers on the Titanic are far less often cited in baby name discussions than the wealthy passengers, but their names — Harold, Herbert, Joseph, Edward — are among the most quietly powerful on the entire ship.
The Titanic manifest is not just a historical record. It is a portrait of a world, captured in names, and the names themselves are as varied, as human, and as worth knowing as the people who carried them.
