Names That Mean Rest

Madonna did much to polish up the image of this old-neighborhood Italian choice when she picked it for her son with British director Guy Ritchie, and several years later it was also used by Rose Byrne and Bobby Canavale for their son. It now feels much more mainstream than many celebrity baby names, sharing the quirky appeal of some other so-far-out-they're-in baby names as Bruno and Hugo.

How many decades will it take for Rocky to triumph over its association with Sylvester Stallone's battered but not beaten boxer? The moment may have come, now that Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. have named their son Rocky. It helps, too, that Madonna's son Rocco helped make the name child-appropriate again.

Short for Rocco, this bold nickname has a more peaceful meaning: "rest". But Rocky sounds wild and edgy – even more so for girls.

Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.

Rock-and-roll version of Coco — definitely a possibility for girls.

Spelled Noë, this name is common among baby girls in the Netherlands. The umlaut clarifies the two-syllable pronunciation, at least to Europeans, and the spelling variation may help sidestep gender confusion.

French and Polish form of Rocco

One of the coolest undiscovered international names, we love Roko for its simplicity, modern style, and freshness. It ranks among the top boy names in its native Croatia.

Lithuanian form of Rocco, the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.

An earthy rock'n'roll name with multiple origins. The Roc was a giant bird in Middle Eastern legend.

Former Top 5 baby name in Slovenia, now on the decline.