Conrad

Conrad has the solid tread of a name carried across centuries of European history. From the Old German Kuonrat, meaning "bold counsel," it was borne by medieval kings, saints, and eventually by Joseph Conrad, the Polish-English novelist who gave us Heart of Darkness. In America it peaked in the early twentieth century and has remained a steady, literary choice, now at 469. Two syllables of quiet authority, a strong opening consonant cluster, and a crisp finish. The name reads as bookish and slightly old-world, evoking studies lined with hardbacks and a dependable handshake. Vintage without feeling dusty.