Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability. 

Anchor

Although we prefer Drew to the old Raggedy Andy, Andy has overtaken Drew as a name in its own right. About twice as many baby boys are named Andy, just Andy -- though about eight times as many parents go with the full Andrew.

Andy

Cultured and cultivated in an old-style, Old World way. Sometimes associated with the classic writer Anton Chekhov. Al Pacino has a son with this name.

Anton

It's been shown that notable political figures often impact the use of their names, and the same can — sort of — be said about Bernie Sanders. His name increased in use by 47% between 2015 and 2016 (albeit, to a peak of only 21 baby boys given the name). By 2017, Bernie has decreased in usage by almost 60%.

Bernie

Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along.  Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.

Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. It's perennially popular in Scotland, but has been rarely used here for a generation -- though the impact of Bruces Lee, Springsteen, Dern and Willis, as well as Batman's Bruce Wayne -- still lingers. At one time Bruce was so widespread in Australia, it became a nickname for any Ozzie man. An interesting alternative is Brix, the Normandy place name where the Bruce family originated.

Bruce

Until recently it was rarely used as a proper name; Buddy Holly, for example, was christened Charles, and Salinger's Buddy Glass was born Webb. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver did name his fourth child Buddy Bear Maurice--a fittingly named brother to Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela and Petal Blossom Rainbow, and singer Tom Fletcher has a double-nicknamed Buddy Bob.

Buddy

Brother for Biff and Bud.   McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.

Buzz

This no-nonsense German variation of Charles is strong and sturdy. A top choice throughout the 20th century, Carl is now verging on falling off the charts.

Carl

Celia, splendidly sleek and feminine, is a name that was scattered throughout Shakespeare and other Elizabethan literature, but still manages to feel totally modern. 
 Shakespeare has been credited with introducing Celia in As You Like It, and it was to Celia that the poet Ben Jonson penned the immortal line, "Drink to me only with thine eyes." Other literary Celias have appeared in works ranging from George Eliot's Middlemarch to T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin.
 Celia Cruz was a superstar of Latin music.
 Celia is not a short form of Cecilia, which has a completely different meaning, and developed independently. But some contemporary parents are naming their babies Cecelia, especially with that spelling, and calling them Celia—which gives you two beautiful names in one.

Celia

Charles derives from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "freeman", and is a royal name in multiple European countries. A famous early bearer is Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Lombards and then Roman Emperor in the 8th-9th centuries. 
 
The word for "king" in several languages, including Slavic, Russian, and Polish, came from Charles. And, of course, Charles III is the current king of Great Britain.
 
Charles is a longtime traditional favorite that was in the Top 10 until the 1960s. Though not as popular as it once was, it's still a widely used name. 
 
The most fashionable form of Charles today is Charlie, used almost equally for girls and boys. And of course, Charlie or Charley is still used as a short form for Charles, along with the old school Chuck and new school Chas/Chaz.
 
Lately, Charles has been resuscitated by many celeb parents, from Jodie Foster to Russell Crowe, honoring a distinguished history dating back to the emperor Charlemagne—the original Charles the Great. 
 
Charles has been so well used for so long that it is virtually faceless—it can conjure up anyone from Dickens to Chaplin to Bronson. It has been an elegant royal name—designating both Bonnie Prince Charlie, leader of a 1745 rebellion, and the present king, as well as previous kings of France, Spain, England, Portugal, and Hungary. 
 
Among the well used international versions of Charles: Carl, Carlo, Carlos, Karel, Xarles, Charlot, and Siarl.

Charles

Chick

Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name that is being rediscovered. After disappearing for nearly 30 years, Colette rejoined the Top 1000 in 2012 at Number 659 and has continued to rise since then. Dylan McDermott used it for his daughter, as did actress Constance Zimmer.
 There is an appealing animated Colette featured in the film Ratatouille.

Colette

First used during the Victorian craze for jewel names; it could rise again, along with Ruby and Pearl, though it doesn't have as much luster. 

Coral

Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. 
 Cornelius has some magical vibe via Cornelius Agrippa, a medieval alchemist who appears in scores of books, including Frankenstein and Harry Potter. In Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, Cornelius was one of the two magicians who help Faustus strike his bargain with the devil. Two characters of the name appear in Shakespeare's plays—Hamlet and Cymbeline. The most famous bearer of the name is probably railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who gave the appellation an aristocratic air. Cornelius is also the birth name of Chevy Chase.
 Cornelius was consistently in the top 1000 through 2008; it was a Top 300 name through 1932.
 And if you're put off by the short form Corny, you could consider Neely, the nickname of the young Cornelius in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Cornelius

Darla

Beach boy name of the 1960s, Darrell is still a presence on the charts and may graduate into a stately surname name.

Darrell

Dashiell, though missing from many other name sources, is among the hottest new names, chosen by such celebs as Cate Blanchett and author Helen (Bridget Jones) Fielding. With its great dash and panache, Dashiell is associated with detective writer Dashiell Hammett (born Samuel, as in Sam Spade, Dashiell being his mother's maiden name). Alice Cooper was ahead of the game: He named his son Dashiell in 1985.
 For those still confused about the pronunciation, it's kind of similar to castle or bashful. And anyone can pronounce Dash, which is such a dashing nickname.

Dashiell

During the heyday of Deborah, Debra, and Debra -- the late 1950s and early 60s -- there were enough baby girls named Deb, just Deb, for it to make the Top 1000.

Today, Deb is literally extinct for babies, though there are plenty of grownup women called Deb.

Django &mdash; the D is silent as most everyone now knows &mdash; the nickname of the great Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django (originally Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt, makes a dynamic musical choice for any jazz aficionado. Reinhardt's nickname "Django" is Romani for "I awake." The name has become more familiar with the release of and acclaim for the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.

Django

A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.

A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo.

Dory

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name. 

Dusty

Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
 Edna, which means delight, is a semi-biblical name--in the Apocrypha she is seen as a loving mother-- and was enormously popular in this country in the late nineteenth century, reaching as high as Number 11. It also relates to Eden--another, more contemporary sounding, option.
 Three literary bearers of the name are Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edna Ferber and Edna O'Brien, and to some the name might be identified with the campy character, Dame Edna Everage.

Edna

Emile

Eve, the oldest name in the Book, is now coming back into style, having the virtues of simplicity and purity, yet with more strength and resonance than other single-syllable names like Ann. British actor Clive Owen chose Eve for his daughter, as did Jessica Capshaw. 
 
While Eve is compromised by its similarity to trendy sisters Ava, Eva, Avery, Evelyn, Evie, ad infinitum, it still has them all beat with its streamlined classic style.
 The rapper born Eve Jihan Jeffers goes by the mononame Eve.
 Fictional Eves have figured prominently in the films All About Eve, Three Faces of Eve, and WALL·E, and on TV in Angel and Xena: Warrior Princess.
 Eve is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Aoife.

Fillmore

Flint is one of the new macho names on the rise today, part old-school tough guy, part rebel. You won't find a tougher, steelier-sounding name; it's part of a genre on the rise along with cousins Slate, Stone and Steel. 
 Flint found itself on the popularity list for a few years in 1959-60, but would prove a distinctive choice today.
 Flint has superhero overtones--there's one in "Spiderman"--aka Sandman--and Captain Flint was a Marvel comic, and Flint is both a legendary pirate and a parrot in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. But on the softer side, there's also inventor Flint Lockwood in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Flint

Flo is an antiquated nickname not often used these days, possibly because "Aunt Flo" is a euphemism for a period. 

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
 
Also the name of a saint, Flora has long been a favorite in Scotland where it was the name of the young heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie make his way to the Isle of Skye. In Gaelic, her name was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill, but the Anglicized Flora caught on with the Scots, who used it disproportionately compared to the rest of the UK until the 20th century.
 
Flora was a Top 100 name in the 1880s and 1890s but gradually descended until it finally fell off the list in 1972. It is still popular in some European countries, including Hungary and France.

There have been a number of memorable Floras in literature, including the angelic little girl in Henry James's Turn of the Screw, the exasperating but charming Flora Poste in Stella Gibson's Cold Comfort Farm, Flora MacIvor in Walter Scott's Waverly, and one of the three Good Fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
Flora is the name of the eighth child and fifth daughter of Ballerina Farm Instastar Hannah Neeleman. Neeleman is one of the main inspirations for our Natural Glamour group of names that makes up one of the prime <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2024">baby name trends</a> of the year, a trend that includes Flora.

Flora

Since this was the name chosen by the current Roman Catholic pope, Francis has come into the spotlight.
 The name, which was in the Top 10 at the turn of the last century, has been pretty much confined to Irish and Italian Catholics -- think F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Albert Sinatra, Francis Ford Coppola -- for decades, and still has a somewhat starchy feel. But with its similarity to the increasingly popular female Frances, and its recent newsworthiness, we can see it making a possible comeback beyond those worlds. And in fact, the name has risen a bit in the charts since its all-time low of 680 in 2009.
 Animal-loving parents might be inspired by the connection to Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni), who was said to be able to communicate with animals and was made the patron saint of ecology. Another Francis, Saint Francis de Sales, is the patron saint of writers and editors.

Francis

Where have all the Freds gone? We haven't seen many since the days of Flintstone and Munster. But it could be time for a comeback--if you think more of the sophistication of Fred Astaire, and of other nice guy names like Jack and Charlie and Sam.
 Fred dropped off the popularity list in 2002, after being a double-digit favorite until 1955. Fred Weasley is a Harry Potter character, and on current TV, there are Freds on Mad Men and Hot in Cleveland.

Fred

Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal and saintly, yet friendly and unpretentious, we think that George is in prime position for a comeback, especially since it was chosen by Britain's royal couple.
 George was the name of the king of Britain for 116 straight years, as well as the patron saint of England (Saint George), who slayed the dragon and became a symbol of good conquering evil. America's most famous George is, of course, Washington, the Father of Our Country.
 Just a few of the many many possible namesakes are George Handel, Shaw, Bush, Gershwin, Burns, Clooney, Shearing, Steinbrenner, Stephanopoulos, Harrison, Orwell, McGovern, Lucas and Clooney.
 Celebrities who have chosen George for their sons include Kristin Scott Thomas, Jane Kaczmarek and Eva Herzigova. George Forman named all five of his sons George.
 Not surprisingly, there are Georges scattered through English and American literature, including in two Jane Austen novels, and in Vanity Fair, Uncle Tom's Cabin and An American Tragedy, not to mention Curious George, "George of the Jungle," George Jetson, George Jefferson, George Bailey and George Costanza.

George

Gerry

Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style revival. 
 Gilbert has always been on the US popularity list, reaching as high as Number 90 in 1930. The Normans introduced Gilbert to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages; it was the name of a 12th century English saint.
 Gilberts have appeared in such books as Henry James's Portrait of a Lady, Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and on screen in The Incredibles and as embodied by the young Johnny Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?. The most famous portrait painter of George Washington was Gilbert Stuart. 
 Nickname Gil could come back along with Hal, but even more appealing are Gib or Gibby.

Gilbert

Gill

Guido was very popular in Renaissance Italy, with many namesakes including painter Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro) and mathematician Guido Fubini. Guy Fawkes, of gunpowder plot fame, sometimes used this version. Nowadays it's unfairly overlooked, but in the current trend for snappy international names ending in -o, this cultured gem deserves more use.

Guido

Hamm

Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. 
 

The name Helen has moved in and out of favor over the centuries, often alternating with Ellen. It was a Top 5 name for several decades of the early twentieth century, falling out of the Top 100 in the 50s. Now, after being unfashionable for decades, we see signs of a comeback for Helen—it's the kind of serious, unadorned classic many parents are returning to.
But if Helen still feels too plain for you, you might consider one of its many lovely variants: Helena, Elena, Eleni, Ella, Nellie or Nell, to name just a few.

 In Greek myth, Helen is the daughter of Leda and Zeus, who came to her mother in the form of a swan. Helen also has legions of real-life namesakes, including author and activist Helen Keller, politician Helen Gahaghan Douglas, newspaper reporter Helen Thomas, Cosmo force Helen Gurley Brown, Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, artist Helen Frankenthaler, and actresses Hayes, Mirren, and Hunt. Beatrix Potter's birth name was Helen.

Helen

Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 7.
 Like James and Theodore, Henry is a traditional name that also manages to feel stylish. Despite its popularity, it's not for everyone, but in some upscale American suburbs, it can seem as if every other little boy is named Henry or Theo or Jack.
 Henry was derived from the French Henri, which ultimately comes from the Germanic name Heimrich, made up of the components heim, meaning "home" or "estate," and rich, meaning "ruler." The most famous bearer is Henry VIII of England, best known for having six wives—two of whom he beheaded for not bearing him sons. It’s been used in the British royal family many times since, including for the current prince better known as Harry.
 
Other illustrious Henrys that might provide baby name inspiration include Henry David Thoreau, Henry (Hank) Aaron, Henry James, Henry Ford and Henry Miller.
 Numerous celebs have chosen Henry for their sons, from Julia Roberts to Minnie Driver to Heidi Klum to Colin Farrell.
 Appealing international versions include Arrigo, Enrico, Enzio and Enrique.

Henry

A term of endearment turned cute British celebrity baby name, used by actress Kate Winslet, chef Jamie Oliver, and TV presenter Fearne Cotton, among others. Honey was given to only 40 girls in the US in 2017, but it's relatively popular across the pond, where it ranks in the current Top 500 baby names for girls.

Honey

Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.

Hopper

Horst

Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
 The Hudson River was named for 17th century British explorer Henry Hudson, who also gave him name to Canada's Hudson Bay. Hudson has long been a prominent surname. Along with Henry, there was also heartthrob Rock, director Hugh, the musical Hudson brothers, and Kate Hudson today. 
 As a first name, Hudson has been given to several celebrity children, including the sons of Robert Herjavec, Marcia Gay Harden, Gena Lee Nolan, and Drew Lachey.
 Hudson literally means 'son of Hudd', which was a nickname for both Hugh and Richard in the Middle Ages. Streamlined spelling Hud was the name of the macho title character of an iconic Paul Newman film; John Mellencamp has a son named Hud.
 James Barbour pulled a gender switch when he named his daughter Hudson in 2008.
 Along with its popularity in the US, Hudson also ranks in the Top 100 in other English-speaking countries. Its popularity has not, however, extended to other European countries, many of which have laws against using surnames as first names.

Hudson

Hannah

Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a>. 
Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man. 
 
Jack is familiar to all from earliest childhood via Jack and Jill, Jack Sprat, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Jack Horner et al. It is still a recent favorite for novel, TV and movie characters. 
 
Jack is at the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland, and also ranks highly in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
 
The jaunty Scottish version is Jock.

Jack

Classic French name that becomes pretentious when used for an American baby. 

Jacques

James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
 James, which reentered the Top 5 in 2016, is a current favorite among fashionable parents looking for a baby name that has both style and substance. Like Henry and Theodore, it manages to combine these two stellar qualities.
 
An English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob, James is biblical (the name of two apostles in the New Testament), royal (kings of both England and Scotland), and presidential (with more U.S. Chief Executives -- six -- than any other name). The name James is also shared by countless great writers and entertainers.
 
There are fewer Jimmys, Jimbos or even Jamies these days; the most fashionable form of the name is James itself. Several stylish celebrities have chosen it in recent years for their sons, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Liz Phair, Colin Farrell and Isaac Hanson. Brendan Fehr thought out of the box and named his daughter James, which has now become a fashionable middle names for baby girls..
James has some interesting foreign variations: Diego and Jaime (Spanish), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Hamish (Scottish), Jaako (Finnish), Seamus (Irish), Jaap (Dutch) and Jago (Cornish).
 Along with being one of the most popular first names in the US, James is also one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common American last names </a>.

James

The boyish spelling, which is still pronounced with two syllables and a long e at the end, is sometimes used for girls, though the Jessie form -- whether short for Jessica or standing on its own, is usually considered the feminine one.

Jesse

John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
 
John is an English derivative of the Hebrew name Yochanan via the Latin name Iohannes, itself coming from the Greek Ioannes. John was a key name in early Christianity, borne by John the Baptist, John the Apostle and John the Evangelist, plus 84 saints and 23 popes, as well as kings and countless other illustrious notables. Contrary to popular belief, the names John and Jonathan are unrelated, the latter being an elaboration of Nathan.
 
Because many of today's baby Johns get their names for familial rather than stylistic reasons, John isn't as ubiquitous as it once was. For modern parents, the nickname Jack or an international form like Gianni feels much fresher. But John is still one of the Top 10 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a> of all time.
 
The international versions of John are perennial classics in their own cultures: the French Jean, the Irish Sean, the Scottish Ian, the Welsh Evan and Ewan, the Italian Giovanni, and Gianni the Spanish Juan, the German Johann/Johannes, the Slavic Jan, the Russian Ivan, and on and on.
 
Celebrities who have gone with the timeless John include Michelle Pfeiffer, Bono, Johnny Depp, Lauryn Hill, Bridget Moynahan, and Rob Lowe.
 
Jon may be an abbreviated spelling of John or a short form of Jonathan.

John

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either CatherineKatherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or Caroline.

The Kari spelling may feel particularly contemporary and flexible in terms of its derivation.

Kari

This variation of Corey has a Kardashian-style spelling update -- which might be why it's experiencing a boost in popularity of late. Kori is also a Kikuyu name meaning lamb, one of the many names from that African culture with animal meanings.

Kori

Nickname of yesteryear now saddled with all manner of unattractive associations.  Any Leonard of today would be called Leo, or maybe Leon or Leonard (or much more fashionably, Leonardo).

Lenny

Lizzie was commonly used as an independent name in the last half of the nineteenth century. Today Lizzie is still one of the most stylish short forms of Elizabeth, but few U.S. parents put it on the birth certificate. 

Lizzie

Lucius is an old Roman clan name that has lots of religious and literary resonance, yet is still vital today. It was the name of three popes, appears in several Shakespeare plays, and, like all the names beginning with 'luc' relates to the Latin word for light.It was one of a limited number of forenames used in ancient Rome, and because of its meaning was often given to boys born at dawn.
 In the Bible, Lucius is the name of three people; Shakespeare used it for the son of Titus in Titus Andronicus, a young servant of Brutus in Julius Caesar, a lord in Timon of Athens and a Roman general in Cymbeline.
 Other fictional bearers of the name can be found in Le Morte d'Arthur, The Golden Ass, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Faulkner's The Reivers, Batman, Talladega Nights, and The Incredibles. Lucius Malfoy, the father of Draco, is a Harry Potter villain, and other Luciuses have been portrayed on screen by Morgan Freeman, Joaquin Phoenix and Luke Wilson.
 Real-life namesakes include renowned World War II General Lucius B. Clay, and writer, photographer, and bon vivant Lucius Beebe.

Lucius

Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini.. 

Luigi

Mack, when "formalized" with the final k, makes an engagingly amiable choice, a far more uncommon alternative to the ubiquitous Max and Jack, with a nice, every-guy feel. Mack entered the popularity list in 2009 for the first time since 1989 and continues to climb. However, it's still far from its peak — it was a Top 100 name in 1900.
 Mack (born Michael) Sennett was the innovator of slapstick comedy in silent films. The name is also suggestive of Mack the Knife and a whole family of computers. Kevin Kline, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Eric Roberts and Snoop Dogg have all played characters named Mack.

Mack

Manny

Marlin

Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

 Mary, the quintessential New Testament name, was #1 for girls until the mid-twentieth century. Though still popular, Mary is used now mostly for religious or family reasons. If it's style you're after, Mary's many diminutives and derivatives such as Maire, Mamie, May, Mitzi, Molly, Maura, Marietta, and even Maria may seem more fashionable. 

 Mary was the most popular and enduring female Christian name in the English-speaking world (as were Maria and Marie in Spanish and French) until the 1940s. That was when in the US Mary was finally dethroned by such trendy upstarts as Linda and Karen.

 There are six Marys in the Bible, including the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and Mary the mother of Mark, and there have been British royal Marys beginning in the sixteenth century. In earlier times Mary was considered too sacred to be used; it finally gained usage in England in the twelfth century, and by the sixteenth had blanketed the female population, to the point where dozens of pet forms had to be contrived to distinguish one Mary in the family from the others.

 The poet Byron deemed Mary a "magic" name, and Bing Crosby proclaimed it "a grand old name." Mary has always been a good-girl name, as reflected by such mid-century icons of propriety and wholesomeness as Mary Poppins and Mary Tyler Moore. The lovely Lady Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey has restored some freshness to the name.

 Among the celebs who dropped their birth name of Mary are Meryl Streep, Debbie Reynolds, and Lily Tomlin.

 For more detail on the origins and possible meanings of the name Mary, see this <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/in-search-of-the-meaning-of-mary">excellent post on the subject</a>.

Mary

Mcqueen

Mia is an appealingly unfussy multicultural name that has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the charts and is now firmly among the ten <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/nameberry/girls">top girl names</a>. Mia has surpassed its mother name Maria as the Number 1 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girls' name starting with M</a>. 
 
Mia originated as a short form of Maria, which ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. In modern times, Mia has been used as a nickname for names including Amelia, Emilia, and Miriam. Mia is also an Italian and Spanish word meaning 'mine.'
 Mia's success is largely attributable to Mia Farrow--born Maria. Her name entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 1964, the very year that Farrow gained wide attention for her role on the nighttime soap Peyton Place.
 We see Mia as the daughter of Nina, or maybe Maya, and the granddaughter of Mary: a name that has something for nearly everyone. It works for the parent who wants a name that is simple and modern, and for those who seek a name with traditional roots. Mia sidesteps all the curlicues and ruffles attached to names like Isabella and Olivia, yet it's distinctly feminine.
 
And in some ways, Mia doesn't feel as trendy as its popularity standing might indicate. It's likable yet not really stand-out, a compromise choice for a lot of parents. Alternatives include a wide range of rhyming names that are less popular: Leah, Tea, Thea, Gia, Nia, Pia. 
 Kate Winslet is the mother of Mia Honey, and Ian Ziering is dad to Mia Loren.

Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate. 

Mike

An exceedingly friendly every-guy nickname that could rise alongside the likes of Ike, Sid, and Ned.

One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.

Nemo

A name that Yanks might see as overly British, but combined with the right surname, it does have a measure of Sherlock Holmesian dash via Nigel Bruce, who played the original Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes. 

Nigel

Unlike the other fruit names that are just coming onto the baby name menu, Peaches is an old-timey nickname previously reserved for spangled showgirls, and now would be considered an outrageous -- verging on hip -- choice. 

Peaches

Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne, and several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
After being a Top 25 name in the late nineteenth century, Pearl went into a long slide, but is showing signs of a strong comeback -- it reentered the Top 1000 in 2010.
 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne, who gives her the name because she is 'her mother's only treasure.'
 Pearl was also the alter ego name of Janis Joplin, tied to singer Pearl Bailey, and---hmm--the birth name of western writer Zane Gray.
 Variations are PERLE and PERLA.

Pearl

Sixties-style short form that sounds cool again -- though the unscrupulous Pete on "Mad Men" is not a character to emulate.

Pete

Ramon is a common Latin male name, but Ramone would clearly be in tribute to the early punk rock group--each of whose members took on the last name Ramone.

Ramone

Randall

Ray, still and forever, is one of the all-time hippest <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a>, with its jazzy Ray Charles biopic overtones. It's one of the coolest <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>), but works perfectly fine as a first.
 The list of noteworthy Rays who have brought glory to their nickname name goes on forever—Bradbury, Romano, Milland (born Alfred), Liotta, and Goulding, to name just a few. Ray might still be short for Raymond or a more unusual formal name such as Rainier or Rayford, but it can also stand on its own.

Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname. 

Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
 Remy came into the spotlight via the 2007 Disney film Ratatouille, starring an ambitious chef named Remy—who happened to be a rat. The name has also been borne by a variety of human characters in The Da Vinci Code, House, New Girl, and The Fairly Oddparents.
 The name of a fifth century saint and one of a new generation of <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/162/french-names">French names</a> being discovered in the US, Remy is one of those ancient names that sounds particularly modern and attractive. 
 Remy de Gourmont was a French Symbolist poet, and Remy Charlip is a children's book author and illustrator.

Remy

Now that many dogs are named Max, it's safe to use this sleek, solid, regal name again for your child. And with the charm of its final x, its regal meaning, and its offbeat simplicity, Rex is definitely one to consider.
 Coldplay's Will Champion used it for his twin son, and Natascha McElhone gave her little boy the doubly cool appellation Rex Coltrane, and Niki Taylor — intentionally or not — gave her son the full name of the British My Fair Lady star, Rex Harrison (who was actually christened Reginald). And quite fittingly, Rex is name of a toy T-Rex in Toy Story.
 Other options: the French version Regis or the literal King.

Rick

Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O'Grady. She's one of the perky nickname-names that are filling the popularity lists of other English-speaking countries. In the US, she came back to the Top 1000 in 2013, after a 30 year hiatus.
 A hobbit character in Lord of the Rings, Rosie's current representatives include Rosie (born Roseann) O'Donnell, Rosie Perez (born Rosa), and British-born pregnancy guru Rosie Pope. The Rosie Project is a 2013 bestselling novel by Graeme Simsion.

Rosie

One of many R- <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> that started as a nickname for a redhead, Russell had a measure of popularity from the early twentieth century through the 1950s. But it's now lost much of its color -- except for a few dynamic bearers, actors Russell Crowe and Russell Brand and sports stars Russell Westbrook and Russell Wilson. 
 Russell has been much more common as a surname, whose many namesakes have included philosopher Bertrand, Gay Nineties entertainer Lillian, actresses Rosalind, Jane and Keri, actor Kurt, basketball star Bill and singer Leon.

Russell

Though as a formal name Rusty is a little, well, rusty, it spent half a century among the Top 1000, departing only in 1995. Only 45 baby boys received the name in the US in one recent year and it's difficult to imagine it as the winning choice of many modern parents. Whether you want an informal name or a spin on a traditional name or even a word name or a name that means red, there are simply too many better options.

Rusty

Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from the 1920s to the 1960s--it was just outside the Top 50 around 1940. Though it hasn't been heard as a baby name for decades, we can see Sally bouncing back, especially after her exposure as young Ms. Draper on Mad Men--the Nameberries rank it at Number 621, and it's a Top 100 name in Sweden.
 Sally has a ton of notable references--a few we can single out are astronaut Sally Ride, actress Sally Field, the Sally Bowles character in Cabaret, the movie When Harry Met Sally and songs like Long Tall Sally and Mustang Sally.

Sally

Sanderson

Sarge

Southern name still occasionally heard in a male context (author Shelby Foote and the son of singer/sitcom star Reba McEntire), but it's much more associated with girls. 

Shelby

Like Marvin and Melvin, Sheldon has been perceived as about as far out as you can get, though there are very pretty towns in Devon and Derbyshire that inspired it. Sheldon Lee Cooper is the lead nerd character on the TV hit The Big Bang Theory, giving the name a brainy image. Nickname Shel (as in Shel Silverstein, author of Where the Sidewalk Ends) could, in the modern world of nature name love, be seen as beach evoking.

Sheldon

Sid originated as a nickname for Sidney, but we like it on its own, a la Sara Quin's and Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen's sons. Sid Vicious, member of the band the Sex Pistols, gives this name a punk rock vibe.

Smitty

Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.
 The third most common surname in Ireland, Sullivan's heritage dates back to the third century. Countless distinguished surnamed Sullivans include Sir Arthur, half of composing team Gilbert & Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher Annie, Chicago architect Louis, early boxer John L. and dour columnist/TV emcee Ed.
 Other celebs with boys named Sullivan: singer Tom Waits and actor James Marsters. Heroic pilot Chesley Sullenberger is known as Sully, and a featured character in Pixar's Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University was Sullivan.

Sullivan

An approachable mini name that could go on the birth certificate, but may work best as a nickname. Full name options include Thaddeus, Theodore, and Thomas, which was the given name of Abe's son Tad Lincoln. Taddy is a rare alternative to Teddy.

A short, bright name which originates as a short form of names including Tiana, and Tatiana. Not as popular as Mia – a plus if you're seeking a short and pretty but less common name. In Spanish and Portuguese tía/tia is a word meaning "aunt". In Haida culture in indigenous Canada, Tia is a goddess of peaceful death.

Tony, as in classy. Or To-nyyy, as yelled out a tenement window. 

Tony

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. 
The violet is a delicate, sweet-smelling spring flower, associated with faithfulness and modesty, and also the seventh color of the rainbow, named after the flower’s vivid purple hue. 
Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the second most popular color name for girls after Scarlett. 
A name that dozed quietly for decades, Violet was popular a hundred years ago, then began its steep descent, bottoming out in the early 1980s. But it started rising again in the late 1990s and climbed even more sharply after Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their daughter in 2005. 
It is now well-used by celebrity parents, including the daughters of Christina Milian, Emily Strayer, Nathan Followill, Dave Grohl, and Emily Blunt. 
In children’s literature, Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does it no favors, but Violet Baudelaire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events</em, and Violet Parr in the animated film The Incredibles, have helped to redeem it for today’s parents. 
Violet is also the first name of Dowager Bridgerton, the matricarch in the show Bridgerton, a reminder of the name’s genteel, vintage side. 
International variations of Violet include Viola, as in the heroine of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, French Violette, and snappy Violeta and Violetta.

Violet

A Leave It to Beaver/old comic-strip name, vacationing for years with the Griswolds in WallyWorld, but now back as WALL-E? 

Wally

While Woodrow is too forbidding, its nickname Woody is a bit cartoonish, as in Woody Woodpecker and the animated cowboy character in Toy Story. Woody Allen was born Allen. 

Woody

LyndsayJenness's list "Pixar Names" of 96 great name ideas: Al - Woody!