Names That Mean Name

Slim

English word name or diminutive of Slimane, Arabic

"man of peace"

Slim may be too on-the-nose for the child of two beautiful models, but it's the name Nara Pellman and Lucky Blue Smith chose for their son, Slim Easy. Smith, who has daughters named Gravity Blue and…

Osler

Surname name from French

"hostelier; fowler, poulterer"

Sir William Osler was a Canadian physician, often referred to as the "father of modern medicine". He was one of the four founders of the John Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, MD, and he also founded…

Acheron

Greek

"river name"

A real Greek river, believe in ancient times to lead to the Underworld. It has been in (rare) use as a boy name from 2010 onwards, coinciding with the rising interest in mythological names.

Bluejay

English

"bird name"

Avian name with cool nickname potential in Blue or Jay.

Betony

English botanical name

"flower name derived from the Vettones tribe"

This unusual English botanical name belongs to a minty-smelling, flowering herb (also called bishopwort), which has been used since medieval times to treat various ailments. In the language of…

Currency

English word name "system of money"

"system of money"

A new addition to the name pool in 2020, along with Kurrency.

Hickory

Plant name from Algonquian

"hickory"

Hieronymus

German variation of Jerome

"sacred name"

This cognate of Jerome (of all things), familiar via the Dutch painter of fantastical scenes, H. Bosch, would appeal only to the most audacious, intrepid, attention-seeking baby namer. It is,…

Foxen

English occupational name or surname

"fox"

Intriguing possibility if you want an animal name that's more than an animal name.

Swann

French

"nature and literary name"

A unisex French name that ranks in the Top 200 for boys and the Top 500 for girls there, inspired by a character with the surname Swann in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time . As a given name, it…

Lindos

Greek

"Ancient Greek place name"

Variant of Lindus

Almond

English word name or variation of Almund or Aleman, German

"almond; noble strength; German"

Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength,"…

Dittany

Plant name from French

"grown on Mount Dikte"

Nacho

Word name or short form of Ignacio

Not unless you want your son to grow up to be just like a wacky Jack Black character.

Kittiwake

English, Scottish

"bird name"

The kittiwake is a black, white and grey seabird which takes its name from its distinctive call. A dramatic nature-inspired middle name or a super quirky route to the nickname Kit.