Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability. 

Anchor

Words are not always easy to translate into <a href="https://nameberry.com/">baby names</a>, but the implications of being straight and swift lend this one great potential as a name. It also has the popular o-sound ending, which brings it further into the realm of possibility. Rising rock star Aja Volkman pulled a gender switch when she named her daughter Arrow Eve.

Arrow

Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.

 Atlas was one of the fast-rising names on the list in recent years in the USA, jumping from oblivion in 2012 into the Top 500 in 2015, and climbing several hundred places higher since then. Anne Heche was one of the first to make this audacious choice, but several celebrity parents have followed suit.

 As well as the mythological connection, Atlas is a cool geographical word name – perfect for the child of parents who love traveling or who hail from different parts of the globe.

Atlas

Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers. 

Bard

A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning. 

Beacon

This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not?  And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so much.  Could be used as a middle name, as Talisa Soto and Benjamin Bratt did.

Bravery

Brave

Artistic associations with the sculptor who invented the mobile make this one of the more creative surname choices. 

Calder

Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic.
 In the Bible the cedar is mentioned in Psalm 92:12: "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon." The Lebanon  Cedar was used to build King Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, and there are now several hospitals called Cedars of Lebanon, plus a U2 song by that name.
 A contemporary bearer of the name is the jazz pianist Cedar Walton.

Cedar

The name Christian has fallen a bit from its 90's and 00's heights, but it's still quite popular. Once considered overly pious, Christian is now seen as making a bold statement of faith by some, while also having secular appeal for others, perhaps influenced by such celebrities as Christian Slater and Christian Bale, not to mention the fashion world's Dior, Lacroix, Louboutin and Audigier.
 In the Middle Ages, Christian was a female name, but turned male with the introduction of the hero of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.
 Today, there's a whole new genre of <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/modern-christian-names-have-spirit">Christian names</a> that go far beyond Christian to telegraph faith and a religion-based style, with names such as Saint, Zion, and Shiloh prime examples.

Christian

Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender. 

Cove

Chord

Coast

This name was transposed from the word for a church officer to a baby name when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe chose it for their son, after a baseball player ancestor, and Don Johnson followed suit. Its popularity also got a boost from Nashville character Deacon Claybourne -- only to fall a bit in recent years.

Deacon

Dean may sound to some like a retro surfer boy name, but it is once again climbing up the popularity chart in the USA. For decades it was associated with Dean (born Dino) Martin; more recent representatives include Dean Cain, Dean McDermott and Dean Koontz -- not to mention Jared Padalecki's dreamy Dean Forester in Gilmore Girls.

Dean

A twist on the standard Everett takes it to lofty heights. The snow-capped Everest would surely stand out in a classroom, yet has an acceptable name-like feel. 

Everest

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. 

Falcon

Foster is one commonly heard last name that makes a fine first. The word foster means "to nourish" — as in "fostering hope", or "fostering a relationship". The only problem with Foster might be its association with "foster child."
 There are numerous notable last-named Fosters, including composer Stephen, actresses Jodie and Sutton, architect Norman, and comic strip artist Hal, creator of "Prince Valiant."

Foster

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
 It was reported that the TV character's first name was not a tribute to the Fox network which aired The X-Files, as often assumed; show creator Chris Carter said he had a childhood friend named Fox. Fox was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2016, perhaps because of the popularity of the X-Files revival.

Fennec

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey. 
 A common surname, Grey/Gray is still an unusual first name choice (it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013), while longer forms Grayson and Greyson are climbing rapidly. Grey is a color associated with the sign of Virgo, so Grey, Gray, and Grayson are perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/zodiac-baby-names-ideas-for-your-virgo-babe">names for Virgo babies</a>.
 The best known bearer of the name, former Governor Gray Davis of California, was born Joseph Graham Davis, Jr, and others with Grey/Gray names include Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, and Grayer, the child in The Nanny Diaries.
 It's worth noting the connection to Christian Grey, of E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey. Do with that what you will.

Grey

Gypsy, long associated with the intellectual stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and the musical that was made about her life, was used by Drea de Matteo and Shooter Jennings as the middle name of their daughter Alabama. Be aware, however, that the word gypsy is now considered an ethnic slur when used for the Romani, or Roma, people.

Gypsy

An appealing Hawaiian name which belongs to a town, river and bay on Kauaʻi island in Hawaii. The two possible meanings of the name, "crescent bay" or "garland (lei) valley" both describe the beauty of the place.
 
Hanalei is a unisex name which is sometimes used for boys as a Hawaiian version of Henry, although the names are not etymologically related.

Hanalei

If you like names that are not really names -- some say, the wave of the future -- Harbor has an attractive sound as well as an appealing meaning and image. 

Harbor

The version with the e at the end relates to novelist Nathaniel, so that may be the one most parents attracted to this unusual name would choose.  Hawthorn nudges it toward the nature category: Hawthorn is a type of hedge.

Hawthorn

Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls, who, like many parents, will call the boy the much more manageable Huck. It was also the name of a child on TV's West Wing,

Huckleberry

Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and has remained on the list ever since. Parents' search for names implying virtue has led to a mini-revival of this long-neglected name in both its German homonymic form, Justus, and as the word itself. Steven Seagal was ahead of the curve when he used it back in 1976.
 Another plus: Justice is one of the truest nonbinary names, given to nearly equal numbers of girls and boys in the US.
 With the Justus spelling, it was the name of several saints and noted scholars and scientists.

Justice

Knight (as opposed to Night) is a name clad in shiny armor. This high-ranking word name was introduced by singers Kelis and Nas. Knight might join brothers King, Royal, and Noble in a new definition of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/453/royal-baby-names">royal baby names</a>.

Knight

Lion

Loyal is one of the few <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/373/virtue-names">virtue names</a> suitable for boys, an honorable and principled Boy Scout-esque appellation with a surprisingly long and distinguished history.
 Loyal was a mid-list name at the end of the nineteenth century, reaching Number 555 in 1890. It has been on hiatus since 1948--and this might be the moment to bring it back as an unusual but usable choice with real meaning. Loyal probably originally signified devotion to country rather than person, but in either case, fidelity is a great attribute to impart to a child. And who knows?--maybe Loy could be the new Roy.

Loyal

Mariner

With parents beginning to show an interest in <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/373/virtue-names">virtue names</a> for boys, this Puritan favorite just might be revived, for what could be more admirable than nobility in terms of having strength of character, dignity, and high moral ideals?
 Noble was actually on the Social Security list from at least 1880 to 1954, reaching as high as 312 in 1901.
 Noble Sissle was an early jazz legend, noted for his collaboration with songwriter Eubie Blake.

Noble

A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.
 North is a word name that's long been used, albeit very quietly, a name with a certain purity and strength. It's a good choice if you're from, say, Wisconsin or Maine, love winter or are an avid skier, or if you just want a name that's both very familiar and very unusual.
 North is just one of several cool names with a directional slant-others are West, Weston, and Easton.
 A young Elijah Wood played the title character in the 1994 film North.

North

Nightingale

Oak, a symbol of solidity, strength, and longevity, is joining Cedar and Pine as a viable name, one that would work especially well in the middle.
 If you'd prefer to take the longer route to the name, you can consider the surnames Oakes or Oakley.

Otter

This title of honor given to Charlemagne's twelve best knights would be prized as a name by most sword-loving little boys. 

Paladin

More masculine than Paris for a boy, but in danger of being misunderstood as that name; has a slightly churchy feel.

Parish

Peak

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's not beyond consideration &mdash; in fact it's already been chosen by at least one Berry.
 The meaning of Peregrine, which was borne by several early saints, relates to the transitory nature of life on earth, having nothing to do with the peregrine falcon. In literature, it is best known from the central character of Tobias Smollett's novel Peregrine Pickle.
 Historically, Peregrine was the name chosen for the first English child born in the New World &mdash; actually on the Mayflower when it was docked in Provincetown.
 And there's always the Mad Men-era nickname Perry to make Peregrine more user-friendly.

Peregrine

In France, pronounced PRO-spare, Prosper is a fairly common name; here it presents a worthy aspirational message for a child. 
 Prosper was the name of several early saints, including a noted fifth century theologian, St. Prosper of Aquitaine, and was a favorite of English Puritans.
 Prosper has strong associations with P.Merimee, who wrote the novel Carmen, upon which the opera is based. Prospers were also the protagonists of two other books, The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.
 The Italian version, Prospero, is another attractive option, with ties to Shakespeare's magician character in The Tempest.

Prosper

Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell.

We love Puck for its energy and insouciance, but might not give it to a real child due to its similarity to a popular curse word.

Puck

A name that looks intriguing and masculine on paper, but is, unfortunately, a homonym for a girl's name. 

Quay

Modern surfer boy. Just don't call him Reefer. 

Reef

Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.

While Royal ranks on the US Top 1000 list for both girls and boys, It's rising precipitously for boys but softening for girls. There are currently nearly three times as many boy babies named Royal as girls..

Pop culture references: the hit Lorde song "Royals.", the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums (in which the paterfamilias was named Royal), and most recently, the Amazon Prime series Outer Range, a supernatural neo-Western starring Josh Brolin as Royal Abbott.

The name's resemblance to the more classic Roy doesn't hurt either.

Royal

Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe.  For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.

Rune

Rook

Shepherd is an occupational surname with a pleasant pastoral feel. It was chosen for their son by the Jerry Seinfelds, which might inspire others to follow their lead.
 There are other spelling choices--Shepard, Sheperd, Sheppard--all of which lead to the friendly nickname Shep. Artist Shepard Fairey (original first name Frank) gained a lot of attention for his Obama HOPE poster.
 Those various spellings are reflected in the surnames of such notables as astronaut Alan Shepard, "Winnie the Pooh" illustrator Ernest Shepard, actor/playwright Sam Shepard, "A Christmas Story" writer Jean Shepherd, Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, and actress Cybill Shepherd. Shepherd might be thought of as one of the out-of-the-box <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>.

Shepherd

With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.

Sparrow

Sitka

Taylor was much more popular throughout the 1990s for both genders than it is today. Close to the Top 50 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a> in the mid-1990s, Taylor recently fell out of the Top 500 for boys and out of the Top 100 for girls, and is predicted to continue on a downward trajectory for both genders. Similar but more stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com">baby names</a> today include Sawyer, Sayer and Thayer.

Taylor

Teal is one of the prettiest and most straightforward of the new color names -- an ideal middle name choice. 

Teal

As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean. 

Tide

Most familiar as a nautical term -- for the part of a boat that facilitate steering -- but also has an occupational sense (someone who tills the soil) and can refer to a part of a crossbow.

Tiller

Honor and bravery are certainly virtues any parent would want to encourage, and this word itself is obscure enough that it manages to sound like a real name.


Valor

Wells is a newly-famous baby name thanks to pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who uses it as the short form of the buttoned-up Wellington, name of her youngest child.

Wells

Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
 
Infamous baby namers Nara and Lucky Blue Smith welcomed a daughter named Whimsy Lou in 2024, which is likely to increase this name's profile significantly.

Whimsy

New to the US Top 1000 in 2015, Wilder is on many parents' possibility lists, one of the new generation of bad boy names growing in popularity. Wilder got a big boost in interest through Goldie Hawn's grandson, born in 2007, via son Oliver.
 Wilder is more familiar as a surname, borne by such notables as authors Laura Ingalls and Thornton, composer Alec, director Billy, and actor Gene. Douglas Wilder was the first African American to be elected Governor of Virginia. Wilder was one of the 10 fastest-rising boys' names of 2016 and is on its way to becoming one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/w">baby names starting with W</a>.

Wilder

Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe. 
Given to just a handful of children a decade ago, in 2023 there were over 1500 girls and more than 200 boys given this fun and friendly name 
 This petite bird was regarded in Ireland as the "magician of the birds" and the Druids considered it a bird of prophecy. In the early fable The Election of the 'King of Birds', the Wren is bestowed the crown after it hides in the plumage of the Eagle, meaning it manages to fly further and higher than all other birds! Able to sing loud and complex songs, Wren makes a cool, nature, inspired choice.

 In 2023, Wren entered the Top 1000 names for boys in the US, where it fits right in with the gentle vibes of popular choices like Rowan, Ezra and August. Reminiscent of Lawrence, Lorenzo, and Warren, Wren feels at once unexpected and fun, but totally wearable too.

 While currently more popular for girls, it is on the rise as a unisex name - and the link to the great Sir Christopher Wren, the celebrated eighteenth century designer of London's St. Paul's Cathedral, gives it strength, substance and style.

Sadies Word Names