US Popularity Rank: 25477

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Determined little thing; The young

Here is an enlightening name for your little philosopher! Voltaire is a gender-neutral moniker of French origin. Most famously, Voltaire is the nom de plume, or pen name, of the French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher François-Marie Arouet. The name was made up by Arouet in 1718, and was never explained. However, the most popular theory is that he used the Latinised spelling of his last name and rearranged the letters. Other theories say that it has connections to the French phrase le jeune, meaning “the young,” or was possibly a nod to a nickname given to the writer: le petit volontaire, meaning “determined little thing.”