Inspired By Websters

An implied spiritual meaning makes this a plausible new name.

Like Silver, Golden is a shimmering, metallic color name, similar enough to the likes of Arden, Eden, and Gwendolyn that it might not over dazzle. It could work as an unexpected route to the vintage nickname Goldie or a less floral alternative to Marigold.

Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.

A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer.

Might be an honorific for novelist Saul Bellow, although bellowing is not the gentlest of sounds. Consider Saul instead.

Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn't work out so well for that Beloved.

Fluttery and flighty. But there are a couple of names that mean butterfly you might consider, such as Yara and Farasha.

When actress Shannyn Sossamon dubbed her newborn Audio Science, it sent out some definite shock waves. We don't recommend Audio or Video for even the most intrepid baby namer.

You can call your daughter Sugar, but it's probably best to keep it as a term of endearment. For sweet names, you try Dulcie, Honey, Mitsu, Amai, Sherine, Melita, Eulalia, or Melina, but Sugar does work as a generic nickname.

A surprisingly popular spiritual name that entered the US Top 500 in 2003. As of 2023, it is still a Top 500 choice, where it fits in with similar bold word names like Chosen, Blessing, and Dream. Miracle is a familiar name in Nigeria too, where it is used as a unisex option.

Like True, a virtuous word name, but a little more awkward. In Trust we trust.

Even is a popular boys' name in Norway, derived from the Old Norse Eivindr. Another popular variation is Eivind, which is pronounced like Ivan.

Sheen is a masculine name with Irish and English origins. Derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Síodhacháin, meaning 'peaceful,' or possibly from the English word 'sheen' meaning brightness or luster. As a given name, Sheen has remained relatively uncommon, giving it a distinctive quality. It gained some recognition through association with actors like Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen (though Martin's birth name was Ramón). The name conveys a sense of polish and brilliance, evoking images of light and radiance. While never reaching mainstream popularity, Sheen appeals to parents seeking a short, memorable name with an elegant sound and positive connotations.

Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose birth certificates are not filled out on time are given generic placeholders for registration, such as Infant, Unknown, or Baby. But more influential during this decade was the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, starring Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. It's the origin of the famed line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

A word that's been used, very infrequently, as a name for hundreds of years. Interesting sound and meaning.

The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.

Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.

The mother of all virtue names.

A bit too self-congratulatory and, understandably, exceedingly rare. Still, if you're looking for a modern virtue name for your daughter, this may be one of the best qualities to exemplify.

Fedora is occasionally heard among the British Mayfair and Belgravia set, but we're afraid that in this country there would be too strong an association with the man's felt hat.