Archer

Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.

But have a look at that amazing popularity chart below: After 1889, Archer took a 130-year nap, resurfacing on the Top 1000 in 2009 and now shooting straight upwards. We just named Archer one of our Hottest Names of 2011--and, indeed, it jumped 103 places in the past year. Thanks in part to Archer's similarity to popular Asher and its cross-gender appeal: moms may like its literary gentility and dad's its tough-guy FX cartoon appeal. Or, of course, vice versa.

Trivia tidbit: Archer is the name of Dr. Doolittle's father.