By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 73 pages
of 73
English
"dark stone"
A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.
English occupational name
"doorkeeper"
Literary, occupational, and very neglected.
"grace protector"
Eastman is a solid, old-style Atlantic seaboard surname. But as a first name, we think Easton works better.
"riverside"
Eaton's similarity to Eton gives it an upscale Old School feel, though in the U.S. a name that sound like eatin' could have teasin' potential. Eaton could also sound like the much-more-familiar Ethan…
English spelling variation of Eberhard
"hardy"
An older form of Everett that stays closer to its Germanic roots. Distinguished Everard is the name of several historical figures and literary characters, including a minor hobbit in The Lord of the…
English, diminutive of Taylor
"tailor"
Tay is occasionally used on its own, or as a nickname for the now fading Taylor.
English, feminine variation of Thomas, Aramaic
"twin"
Though rarely used now that many parents would rather appropriate men's names than sweeten them with feminine endings, Thomasina does have some vintage appeal. Thomasina Coverly plays a large part in…
English, contracted form of Thomasina
Tamsin is an offbeat name occasionally heard in Britain and just waiting to be discovered here. U.K. actress Tamsin Greig is a star of the show Episodes , Tamsin Olivier is the daughter of Joan…
"old counsel"
This marvelously medieval name had a moment in the 1910s and 1920s but has dropped completely off the radar now.
English word name
"golden brown"
Y-ending color adjectives like Tawny and Rusty are nowhere near as stylish as the more sophisticated Lilacs and Violets.
"nobleman's estate"
One of the many El- names for boys that boomed in the 1910s and 1920s, but has long been out of fashion. This surname/place name has an aristocratic flavor, and a creative namesake in the artist…
English, from Persian, word name
A few boys have adopted fabrics like Denim and Suede; here's a singular one for the girls, with a distinctively silky sheen.
"moor with elm trees"
Boys' names beginning with "El" were all the rage in the 1910s, but today Elmore - along with Elwin, Ellsworth and others - has barely been used for decades. It has literary connections through…
"beyond the cottage"
Upstanding New England patrician name.
"tree stump"
Stockard Channing -- "West Wing" 's first lady -- picked this strong, Waspy first name over her original, Susan.
"highborn, shining"
A Middle English form of Adalbert (and therefore of Albert), which was the name of several Saxon kings. Nowadays, Ethel plus Bert is not a fashionable sound, but Albert is feeling fresh again.
"wild boar in woodland clearing"
Evokes 1960s brotherly close harmony. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis named his son Everly Bear, and it is also an explosively popular choice for girls. We predict that all the "Ever" names…
"bank along the pathway"
Alaska's second most populous city makes a baby name with a preppy, even aristocratic, flavor.
"fair-haired child"
Only if it's a family name, and even then, better in the middle.
"blond"
If this name makes you think of Victorian novels, it's because Fairfax was part of Mr Rochester's name in Jane Eyre , and the surname of a minor character in Jane Austen's Emma . It has a distinctly…
