By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 73 pages
of 73
English
"place in the thorns"
Despite Thornton Wilder, playwright of the perennial Our Town, only a handful of baby boys receive this name each year..
English from German
"old"
Aldous has long been associated with British writer Huxley, author of Brave New World . So many of these rare British names are starting to be reconsidered by the literary or hipster crowds and this…
"clearing on a bank"
The Shirley of the 1950s. Shelley Winters was born a Shirley.
"large curl"
Though Davy Crockett is a childhood hero, a frontiersman, soldier, politician, congressman and prolific storyteller. But be aware that "crock" is American slang for a lot of nonsense or something…
English, diminutive
"small valley"
The kind of name last found in northern Wisconsin in the 1950s, and even then it was probably a nickname for Delbert.
English, diminutive of Roger, German
"famous warrior"
This old short form might be seen as a little dubious by some, though it could make for a fun pet name, honor name, on update on the still-stodgy Roger. In a recent film, Seeking a Friend for the End…
Short form of Rebecca or English
"one living beside a small stream"
Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.
English variation of Albert
Rocking out on the porch with buddies Hubert, Norbert, and Osbert.
English surname and place name
Kipling calls to mind writer Rudyard (b. Joseph) Kipling, author of the stories familiar to schoolchildren Gunga Din and The Jungle Story. Certainly, Kipling is a friendlier name than Rudyard these…
English, diminutive of Cornelius, Cornell, Nelson
Naming a child Cornelius or Nelson feels increasingly ahead of the curve in today's vintage name-loving climate. But keep Nelly for a nickname (even the rap star was christened Cornell).
"from the oak valley"
Rarely used surname, associated with humorous poet Ogden Nash.
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men , with intriguing mid-century characters with names…
English or Mapuche
"villager, country-dweller; blue"
The y helps a bit, but still a painful image.
"son of Peter"
To honor an ancestral Peter.
American animal name
"pike, a fish"
The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike,…
English, Welsh "alert; son of Howell"
"alert; son of Howell"
Powerful surname choice with many distinguished bearers, fresher sounding than Parker.
English, Arabic
"advisor; red; cool, extremely good; thunder"
The cool and edgy Rad might just work as a fresh spin on the likes of Brad, Chad, Rod, and Randy. Used as a word to describe something exciting and extremely good, it's a synonym for cool, awesome,…
Yiddish
"defender of men"
Also an English surname, Sender derives from Alexander and has an attractive modern sound. Though given to only a handful of baby boys per year, it nevertheless is in step with the brotherhood of…
"swift runner"
You won't win with Sherwin.
English, feminine variation of Thomas, Aramaic
"twin"
Pre-Thomasina female form of Thomas, now seen as more literary and upscale British. In Thomas Hardy's novel The Return of the Native, a leading character is Thomasin Yeobright.
