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A name list on a name meanings site is a browsable, filterable index of given names, where each entry typically bundles meaning, origin, gender, usage, and sometimes popularity. You can use it to move from a vague idea ("something Irish," "something that means light") to a shortlist of concrete names, then check each one's etymology and current standing before deciding. It works best as a research and narrowing tool, not as a single authority — treat any one entry as a starting point to verify elsewhere.

What a name entry usually contains

Most entries on a site like Behind the Name combine several distinct kinds of information, and it helps to know which is which:

The key distinction: etymology and history are about where a name came from; popularity is about who is using it right now. These are separate questions, and a name can be ancient in origin yet suddenly trendy, or traditional in one country and rare in another.

Narrowing a large list to something usable

A full A–Z index is too big to read straight through. Use the site's structure to cut it down:

1. Browse by letter when you already have a sound or spelling in mind — this is the fastest way to confirm a name exists and see its entry.
2. Filter by category such as Mythology Names, Biblical Names, or Irish Names when your criterion is cultural or thematic rather than phonetic.
3. Filter by region or language (English, French, Arabic, Indian, and so on) when the name needs to fit a specific cultural context.
4. Check the popularity lists by country if you care about how common a name is where you live — the same name can rank very differently across countries.
5. Use advanced search when you want to combine conditions, such as a meaning keyword plus a gender plus a language.

The goal at this stage is volume reduction, not final selection. Expect to go from hundreds of names to a few dozen, then to a handful.

Reading an entry critically

When you open a single name, separate the layers:

• The etymology is the core claim. For a name like Felix, the entry ties it to a Latin cognomen and notes it was used as an agnomen by a Roman general and appears in the New Testament. That kind of cross-reference is a sign of a well-sourced entry.
• The history and namesakes show how the name has actually been used, which is often more informative than the literal meaning.
• The popularity data tells you about current fashion, not about the name's quality or suitability.
• "More…" links and related names let you see variants, cognates in other languages, and connected names — useful if you like a name but want a less common form.

A common trap is treating a poetic or disputed meaning as settled fact. Many names have multiple proposed origins, and some popular "meanings" are modern inventions rather than historical etymology. If a meaning matters to you, look for whether the entry cites a language and root, or just asserts a gloss.

Comparing names before you shortlist

Once you have candidates, compare them on the same dimensions rather than one at a time:

• Meaning and origin — do they fit the story or heritage you want?
• Gender usage — is it used the way you intend in your region?
• Current popularity — how common is it in your country, and does that matter to you?
• Variants — is there a spelling or related form you prefer?
• Practical fit — how it sounds with a surname, how easily it's spelled and pronounced where you live.

A name that scores well on meaning but is currently very high in the popularity rankings may or may not be a problem — that's a personal trade-off, not a factual one. The list gives you the data; the weighting is yours.

Verifying and saving your shortlist

• Cross-check against more than one source. A name-meaning site is an encyclopedia-style reference; confirm etymology and popularity against a second reference, especially for names with contested origins.
• Note the update date. Popularity rankings are only as current as the data behind them, so check when the lists were last updated before relying on them.
• Keep your own shortlist. The site's browse and search tools help you find names, but a simple list of your finalists with their meaning, origin, and popularity noted is what you'll actually use when deciding.
• Revisit the popularity pages by country if your shortlist needs to work in more than one place.

Used this way, a name list turns a huge, unstructured set of options into a small, well-understood set you can actually choose from — with the meaning and history as context and the popularity data as a practical check.

Cascadeur's site offers a free way to try the software and links to paid plans, but the public page does not spell out exactly what the free tier includes or where its limits sit. What it does confirm is the feature set — AI-assisted keyframe animation, AutoPosing, AutoPhysics, Ragdoll, Inbetweening, AI motion generation, rigging, retargeting, and UE Live Link — plus file compatibility with .FBX, .DAE, .GLB/.GLTF, and .USD. If you need a definitive free-vs-paid breakdown, treat the Plans page and the trial start as the two places to check, because the homepage itself doesn't publish export limits, watermark rules, or commercial-use terms.

What the public page actually tells you

The homepage positions Cascadeur as "the easiest way to animate" and invites you to "Try for free" or "Watch demo." It lists these capabilities without marking any as paid-only:

• Inbetweening — AI interpolation that generates motion between keyframes
• Ragdoll — procedural reactions to impacts, falls, and collisions
• AutoPosing — get natural poses by moving fewer control points
• Quadrupeds — rigging, AutoPosing, and one-click retargeting for four-legged animals
• AI Motion Generation — running, jumping, combat, acrobatics, idles, and more
• AutoPhysics — a character double showing a physically accurate result, for tuning secondary motion and inertia
• Rigging — drag-and-drop joints to auto-generate a rig for humanoids and quadrupeds
• Retargeting — copy/paste animation between characters regardless of skeleton or proportions
• UE Live Link — stream animation to Unreal Engine with real-time updates

It also names the solution areas: mocap cleanup, previz, animation editing, AI, video games, prototyping, and markerless mocap. Mocap cleanup is described as fixing foot sliding, knee pops, geometry penetration, poses via AutoPosing, weight via AutoPhysics, and edits via Animation Layers.

None of this is labeled "free" or "paid" on the page, so don't assume the list equals the free tier.

The two "free" paths are different things

The page shows two separate entry points, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion:

The trial link points to cascadeur.com/plans#trial, which means trial terms live on the pricing page, not the homepage. If your decision depends on whether you can keep using it indefinitely at no cost, that answer has to come from the Plans page — the homepage doesn't provide it.

When the free route is likely enough

Based on the feature list alone, a free or trial route is worth starting with if you are:

• Learning the workflow — testing AutoPosing and Inbetweening on a simple humanoid before committing
• Evaluating mocap cleanup — checking whether the foot-sliding and knee-pop fixes fit your pipeline
• Prototyping — blocking previz or game animation without a production deadline
• Testing file compatibility — confirming your .FBX, .DAE, .GLB/.GLTF, or .USD assets import cleanly

When upgrading becomes the real question

Upgrade pressure usually comes from constraints the homepage doesn't state, so verify each against the Plans page before paying:

1. Export restrictions — if the free tier limits resolution, format, or adds a watermark, that alone can force an upgrade for client work.
2. Commercial use — confirm whether free-tier output can be used in shipped products. The page doesn't say.
3. Team or pipeline needs — UE Live Link and retargeting matter more in production; check whether they're gated.
4. Volume of work — a single test animation and a full game's combat set have very different tolerance for limits.

A concrete example: if you're cleaning up a markerless mocap take for a game prototype and the free route lets you fix foot sliding and apply AutoPhysics, you may never need to pay. If you're delivering that animation into a commercial build and the free tier restricts export or licensing, the upgrade decision is made for you by the terms, not the feature list.

How to decide without guessing

1. Open the Plans page and read the actual tier comparison — this is the only authoritative source in the material provided.
2. Start the trial and test the specific features your project needs: AutoPosing, AutoPhysics, Ragdoll, Inbetweening, retargeting, and UE Live Link.
3. Test an export end-to-end with your real file format (.FBX, .DAE, .GLB/.GLTF, or .USD) and inspect the output for watermarks or quality loss.
4. Check the commercial-use terms in writing before shipping anything.
5. Only then compare cost against the limits you actually hit.

The homepage is useful for understanding what Cascadeur does — AI-assisted keyframe animation for character work, mocap cleanup, and game pipelines. It is not a pricing document. For the free-vs-paid question specifically, the Plans page is the answer, and the trial is how you verify it against your own project.