Names to ponder because life

  1. Sawyer
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "woodcutter"
    • Description:

      Sawyer is one of the top unisex names, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners.
  2. Remi
    • Origin:

      French, variation of Remy
    • Meaning:

      "oarsman"
    • Description:

      Makes the jaunty Remy a little more nicknamey and feminine. Remi is on the rise for both girls and boys, having entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2019.
  3. Winter
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.
  4. Reese
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Rhys
    • Description:

      An Anglicized spelling of the Welsh Rhys, this traditional boys' name got a big boost for girls in the early 2000s, thanks to the high-profile Ms. Witherspoon (who was actually born Laura Jeanne Reese, her second middle being her mother's maiden name). This spelling has been on the decline for boys since 2003, possibly for the same reason, but remains a strong, simple choice which might pose fewer spelling and pronunciation issues outside of the UK than the Welsh original.
  5. Ingram
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "angel-raven"
    • Description:

      An undiscovered surname possibility with upscale overtones, could be enlivened with nickname Ingo.
  6. Fig
    • Origin:

      Fruit name
    • Description:

      Fig was the unlikely name of a beautiful character in Curtis Sittenfeld's Man of My Dreams. Better bets: Plum, Quince, or even Apple. Still, you might consider Fig as an unusual nickname for any more formal F-starting name, from Frances to Fiona.
  7. Finnigan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "fair"
    • Description:

      Finnigan is another way to spell Finnegan, one of the energetic Irish surname-names in vogue now. One note: While Finnigan, Finnian, Finley and so on are appealing names on their own, you don't need to use a longer form to get to Finn, which is a perfectly proper name all on its own.
  8. Blue
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of the babies named Blue are boys.
  9. Angelina
    • Origin:

      Greek, Italian, Spanish, Russian diminutive of Angela
    • Meaning:

      "angel"
    • Description:

      The gorgeous Angelina Jolie has promoted the star power of her name and changed Angelina's image from delicate to intense, from older Italian mama to stylish multi-cultural child. Kids might relate to the dancing mouse in the series of charming children's books, Angelina Ballerina, or to the Harry Potter character, Angelina Johnson Weasley, a member of Dumbledore's army.
  10. Ellison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ellis"
    • Description:

      Updates Allison—which everyone will misunderstand it as. But it's definitely a fresh spin on the Ellie names, and a rising surname name choice for girls.
  11. Blue
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
  12. Jean
    • Origin:

      French variation of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      One of the most enduring French names, this form of John has been borne by philosophers (Rousseau and Sartre), artists (Millet, Arp) and fashion designers (Gaultier) alike. Often used in a double name with the likes of Pierre, Paul, and Luc, it is a classic in its native country,
  13. Colleen
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "girl"
    • Description:

      Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.
  14. Ellison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ellis"
    • Description:

      Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.
  15. Glimmer
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Glimmer is shimmery but a little too showy, as is Glitter, a character on a TV sitcom-- while Glimmer appears in The Hunger Games.
  16. Winsome
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "agreeable, lighthearted"
    • Description:

      A sweet, modern descriptive name, with a wholesome and winning feel, Winsome means "appealing, fresh, simple, innocent" or "cheerful and lighthearted." Some may find it a little too cutesy, but with Dolly, Birdie, Sunny, and Blessing on the rise, it could fit right in. Nicknames Winnie and Winn are an added bonus.
  17. Reyna
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Reina
    • Description:

      This variation is actually more popular in the United States than the original Spanish Reina.
  18. Galway
    • Origin:

      Place-name
    • Description:

      The familiar Irish city and bay is one place-name that seems distinctly masculine.
  19. McKay

    Introducing the Nameberry App

    Nameberry App
    Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
    • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
    • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
    • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
    • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
    • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
    Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
    Nameberry App Logo