Bird and Birding Baby Names

Aderyn, like cousin Elowen, may have found her moment: Aderyn makes an original full name that gets you to the cute and trendy nickname Addie. Just remember to put the emphasis on the second syllable.

A Spanish TV show made this one popular, along with single-named Mexican singer, Alondra.

Folk singer DiFranco popularized this simple, appealing form. In Igbo mythology, Ani is one of the names of the goddess of the earth, fertility, creativity, and morality.

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

Simple and yet distinctive, Ara is a mythological name of a famously handsome king. Although it originated as a boys' name, in the contemporary US, it's now much more commonly used for girls.

Meaning bard, this is an original choice with poetic and melodic undertones. Bard itself has also come into consideration, both names bringing to mind Shakespeare and other literary lights.

The Scottish surname Baird's most notable bearer was John Logie Baird, the Scottish engineer and inventor of the televisor, the world's first practical television system in 1926, and also the world's first fully electronic color TV tube two years later. Some might also remember puppeteers Bil and Cora Baird.

Brant, a no-nonsense one-syllable name, had some popularity in the early 1970s, but has been off the lists for a decade. Now, with similarly brisk names like Chase, Jace, Bryce, and Grant finding favor, Brant could make a comeback.

Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry -- and also the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it would not be the easiest name for a girl lacking such qualities. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. While Americans usually pronounce this name with a long I sound and the emphasis on the second syllables, Greeks pronounce it with the emphasis on the third syllable -- ka-lee-OH-pee.

Carson is one of the most long-running popular androgynous baby names, with a dash of the Wild West via the legendary Missouri frontiersman Kit Carson. Dating back to when it was the name of Nancy Drew's Dad, Carson is still steadily in the Top 100 baby names.

Current Carsons include TV personalities Carson Daly and Carson Kressley, and Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer. Carson Wells was the bounty hunter character played by Woody Harrelson in No Country for Old Men, and Carson is the name chosen by actress Kathryn Erbe for her son.

A simple one-syllable name that has been on the popularity list since the mid-1980s, Drake is most associated today with the single-named rapper (born Aubrey). The name peaked at Number 197 in 2010 and has since been on a slow decline, but it still can be counted among the stylish contemporary boy names starting with D.

A genus of birds in the flycatcher family, Elaenia is one of the many unique baby names in the Elena family. But that spelling is sure to trip up some people.

Italian surname most Americans will associate with actress Edie Falco, of Sopranos fame.

There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.

Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.