Legend

From legend: a traditional story, or a celebrated person.

Legend puts its meaning close to the surface. In English, a legend can be a story handed down from the past or a person whose reputation has become remarkable. As a name, that combination feels bold to me: it suggests the scale of a story rather than the quiet familiarity of a traditional personal name. It is documented as a masculine English given name taken from the ordinary word. The word itself has older roots: French and medieval Latin lead back to the idea of something to be read. Stories about saints were part of that medieval usage. This is the history of the word, rather than evidence of an ancient personal name called Legend. The sound is more compact than the imagery: LEJ-uhnd, two syllables, with the emphasis first and a soft g as in gem. The flowing l opens gently, then the final nd gives it a definite close. If you enjoy expressive word names, the choice here is whether that large, immediately visible meaning is part of the appeal.

Etymology: An English word name. The noun comes through French and medieval Latin legenda, “things to be read”, from Latin legere, “to read”.