By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 73 pages
of 73
English
"carefree person"
Corliss, eccentric yet well-established, has an independent and artistic air.
English, diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She…
English place-name and surname
"dark wolf's wood or clearing"
Blakesley is the name of a village in England, also sometimes found as a surname along with Blakely and Blakeley, turned into a first name for their daughter by reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter.…
English, elaborated form of Cora
Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Latin
"dove"
A beautiful English and French flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.
Word name
New is a middle name name with meaning: Your baby, after all, is new to the world and you may hope will continue to approach life and experience as if everything is new and exciting.
Place-name or surname
"meeting place"
Stowe, the name of a beautiful mountain town in Vermont as well as the surname of the great author Harriet Beecher, is one of the oldest last names on record. The meeting place the name Stowe refers…
Occupational name, English or French
"enameler"
Mailer is one of the more unusual of the on-trend occupational surnames. Recommended for fans of the macho writer Norman Mailer.
Literary name and Old Norse
"gravel bank river"
This lovely name is best-known as the surname of eponymous Bronte heroine, Jane Eyre, and would make an appealing and distinctive middle name for the child of fans of that book. While the surname…
English word name
"an immature bean pod used as a vegetable"
The unisex word name Bean, distant cousin of the infamous Apple, was used for the name of a child in Louise Penny's novel "A Rule Against Murder." A cute choice, it's likely best reserved for a…
Wrecker is a new entry to the newly trendy group of badass baby names -- names mostly for boys that sound wild (or Wilder) and summon the kind of kid that races around (Racer), breaking things…
Variation of Wrecker
"a person or thing that wrecks or damages something"
Rekker comes to us thanks to actor Cam Gigandet, who gave his son this phonetic spelling of badass word name Wrecker. Use at your own peril.
"strong bear cub"
Also spelled as Swithun, this rare choice was notably borne by a 9th-century bishop who became the patron saint of Winchester (England) and of the weather. Said to be the one to pray for during a…
English feminine variation of Clement, Latin
"mild, merciful"
One of the rarest of virtue names, Clemency could come back along with the more familiar Puritan virtue names such as Hope and Faith. It has a rhythmic three-syllable sound, and offers a more…
Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas . Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.
"person who fires a gun; member of a sports team who scores goals"
More than 300 babies have been named Shooter in the US since 2002, which, depending on who you ask, is arguably about 300 too many. One of the violent names for boys that have gained traction in…
"camp on the meadow"
Chelsea with dyslexia.
Short form of Cecilia or Celia
"blind or heavenly"
With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback. Ceil had a few years of recorded popularity in the first decade of the…
Variation of Carlisle, English
"from the walled city"
Might Carlyle (or Carlisle) be the next Carly, which of course was the update on Carla? In 2015, 14 girls were given the Carlisle spelling (vs. 35 boys) but the Carlyle version did not make the SSA…
English occupational name
"wool carder"
Unusual, serious, no-nonsense occupational surname that could be borrowed from the boys.
