Names That Mean Someone

Straightforward single-syllable name, though children named Lyle may get tired of hearing "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile". Lyle was at the height of fashion in the 1920s, which makes him due for a comeback right about now. The double L certainly gives it a fashionable sound.

Short and sharp with a nature related meaning, Vance was trending upwards in recent years thanks to the musicians Foy Vance and Vance Joy. 2024 saw it take a downwards dip however, likely due to its association with the vice president, JD Vance, a controversial association which it might not recover from for a while. Time, however, will tell.

This name projects a sense of well-being, as in "hale and hearty", while also having a nature-adjacent meaning, referring to someone who lives near a hollow, a nook, or a remote area of land. Rhyming word hail adds a hint of storminess to the name too.

Schoolchildren will recognize this name via Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

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 suggest speed, excitement, even danger, were it not for its best-known bearer, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.

Though it's used far more often for boys, Lyle has a lot in common with today's trending girl names that share the double L sound: Lila, Layla, and Lola.

The well-known phrase "hale and hearty" gives this name a warm, positive feel. Hale is clean and straightforward but doesn't crack the top 1000 for either gender. For those in search of a namesake, Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale would make a strong one.

Simple and down-to-earth, but would probably work best as a middle name.

When actress Deborah Kerr entered the scene, there was a great debate over her name's pronunciation. Car or Ker. Your choice.

A surname that sounds stylish — given the soaring popularity of Brooks — but is surprisingly rare.

A long-haired classical conductor name, which could appeal to parents looking for a Laszlo-like appellation. A name of Slavic origin, it has a powerful and uplifting meaning.

This is a solid surname choice for people looking for a change from Cooper, Parker and Carson. Australian parents will probably instantly associate this name with famous rock legend Jimmy Barnes, but this has an even older pedigree as a namesake - Barnes Wallis was a UK aviator and inventor, most remembered for designing the Dambuster bomb (a bomb that bounces across water to reach its target) and working on supersonic flight in the 1940s and 50s.