Names That Mean Person

Sebastian is an ancient martyr's name turned literary, and Little Mermaid hero—think Sebastian the Crab—that's more popular than ever, as a classic-yet-unconventional compatriot for fellow British favorites T Theodore and Oliver.

In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America.

A Japanese name with a great meaning, a cool Kai sound, and lots of potential to become an international export.

Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter North. Nori is also the name of an edible seaweed used in wrapping sushi.

Eren ranks among the Top 50 boys' names in Turkey, among the Top 1000 in England and Wales, and is virtually unknown in the US. With a sound that's similar to Aaron or Erin, it may be mistaken for one of those more familiar choices but does make an easily-translated and attractive name. Eren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, with parents potential inspired by the character Eren Yeager in the popular Japanese manga series Attack on Titan.

As a given name, Kemper is a rare gender-neutral choice, given to fewer than 50 American babies at last count. It's much more familiar as a surname, as in that of Ellie Kemper, an actor from The Office and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France.

A highly unusual Italian word-name that is nevertheless attractive and easy to pronounce and spell.

Reality TV star Raven Gates gave her on-trend s-ending surname to her son, named Gates Zev. Gates joins an impressive lineup of celebrity babies with similar names, including Hillary Duff's Banks and Emma Roberts' Rhodes. Gates is also famously the surname of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.

Enitan's origins are in the Yoruba language of Southwestern Nigeria. It has a lovely meaning, referring to a person of notoriety.

Rugged, rustic Wrangler evokes cowboy charm, bootcut denim, and SUVs.

Cute but slight masculine nickname.

Heavily perfumed word name that peaked a few years ago.

A dramatic-sounding demonym for someone from the city of Gaeta, on the Mediterranean coast of Italy, with roots that stretch back to Ancient Rome, Cayetana is among the Top 100 Spanish baby names. It lends itself well to several sweet nicknames, such as Cay and Ana.

Most commonly associated with artist M.C. Escher, Escher makes a great hero name that would fit in nicely with the surname names of today.

Usually pronounced without the W in English, this cool surname name derives from the English place name Fenwick, found in Northumberland, Strathclyde and Yorkshire. The place name in turn denotes a farm in fenland. Fenn could be a cool short form.

Nore comes from Nori, the Old Norse mythological name of the founder of Norway. As a feminine name, Nore is a variation of Nora popular in the Netherlands.

At one time, the surname Poole denoted someone who lived near a pool. Not in the chlorinated sense — pool was another word for pond.

Kemper is a familiar surname that is sometimes adopted as a given name. As such, it is a gender-neutral choice, though an incredibly rare one at that.

Sebastian has many international nicknames, and Tian is the short form of choice in Slovenia. It is also spelled Tijan.