Names That Mean English

Less than 10 percent of the babies named Raven are boys, and none of those with the Ravyn spelling are male. But there's nothing intrinsically gender-identified about the name. The early 2000s show That's So Raven, with a female protagist named Raven and starring Raven-Symoné, undoubtedly made parents identify the name as feminine.

Ravyn

The Cornish version of Emmeline holds many charms.

Emblyn

Laure is a feminine French name derived from the Latin 'laurus,' meaning 'laurel tree' - a symbol of victory and honor in ancient times. It functions as both a standalone name and the French form of Laura. Elegant and understated, Laure has maintained consistent usage in France and French-speaking regions while remaining relatively uncommon in English-speaking countries. 

The name carries an air of sophisticated simplicity with its single-syllable pronunciation and subtle ending. Historically associated with the poet Petrarch's muse Laura, the name conveys literary and artistic connections. Laure appeals to parents seeking a name with French elegance, historical depth, and international recognition without excessive popularity.

Laure

Octave shortens Octavius to a more manageable length, keeping the "eighth" meaning. In English speaking countries, however, people could easily confuse this with the musical and poetrry term octave. This, however, might not be considered a bad thing, or even an accident. Cadence, Lyric, Poem, and Anthem had seen increased interest, so why not this musical word? 
 
The name appeared in the US stats in 2024 for the first time since the late 60s, when it was given to 6 boys.

Octave

Devvon is an uncommon modern name that can be used for either gender, though it appears here as feminine. The name likely originated as a variation of Devon, which itself derives from the name of the English county. The doubled 'v' gives Devvon a contemporary edge and distinctive visual appeal. 

While maintaining the pleasant sound of Devon, this spelling creates a more unique identity. Devvon shares phonetic qualities with popular names like Devin, Devyn, and Devan, but remains far less common. The name has a strong, modern feel with a touch of geographic heritage from its connection to Devonshire. 

Devvon might appeal to parents seeking a name that sounds familiar yet looks distinctive.

Devvon

The Italian form of the classic Biblical name, appearing in the Old Testament as the second son of Adam and Eve, Abele also doubles up as a word name, referring to the white poplar tree. From its Hebrew roots, it means "breath", while the name of the tree ultimately comes from the Latin albus meaning "white".
 
As an Italian name, it would be pronounced as a-BEH-leh and has been notably borne by mountaineer Abele Blanc. As a nature name, it is said as uh-BIHL, uh-BAYL, or as AY-bl (like Abel in English), depending on region.
 
It is also the name of a small village in Belgium.

Abele

Girtha

Roberta and Robert may be so far out they're...still out, but Robby might make one of the trendy new boyish nicknames for girls a la Scottie and Charlie. 
 
Robby is largely unused for girls, but this is the dominant spelling for boys, with around 250 receiving this name each year in the US. There are about 50 girls being named Robby, Robbie, or Robbi per year.

Robby

Mosse may look like an alternative spelling to word name Moss, in the same vein as Foxe or Wolfe, and it may be used as such, however, it also has a number of different origins.
 
One one hand, Mosse is a Norwegian diminutive of Maria (or occasionally Margarita) that may be heard in Sweden, Denmark, and in Norway itself. Other similar forms include Mossa and Mossi. You might compare it to using Maisie, Molly, or Masha.
 
As an English and Germanic surname, it may mean "peat, bog, swamp" and was traditionally given to someone who lived near a swampy area, though it may additionally be linked to the Biblical Moses, meaning "delivered from the water", via its Catalan form (Mossé) or Medieval English variant (Moss). 
 
Typically, it is pronounced with one syllable.

Mosse

On one hand, Saturnine is a bright and golden French name, ultimately derived from the Roman God Saturn, associating it with agriculture, renewal, time, and abundance, along with the planet. On the other, it is an English word name, referring to a person, a place, or an occasion that is dark, sombre, and gloomy.
 
As such, while the name has never ranked highly in English speaking countries, it did see a spike in popularity in the early 20th century in France.
 
While the word association could make it an interesting choice for someone looking for a name to fit a character in a Gothic story or for someone wanting something dark and moody for themselves, as a name, it has mythological and celestial connections.

Saturnine

While the Waverly spelling is far more popular (for girls at least), Waverley is linked more closely to Walter Scott's popular 1814 novel, whose hero is a young English soldier named Edward Waverley. It is believed that Scott named the novel after the model of pen he used to write it, though as a place and surname, it actually means "from the quivering meadow" or "clearing with quivering aspen trees". 
 
Used occasionally for boys in the early 19th century, the link to the classic novel gives it more substance as a unisex choice.

Waverley

A distinctive word name or a short form of the Italian Bonaventura, Venture could make a bold choice, similar in style to Journey, Story, Valor, and Worthy. While it has yet to rank for girls, it has been given to around 10 boys each year since 2020.

Venture

Scottish curler Hammy McMillan Jr pulls off this unlikely nickname and might make it feel like a cool alternative to Harry. For some, however, it may ever be associated with hamsters and ham. 

Hammy

With strong Wild West vibes, this word is rare but could work as a name.

Corral

Less popular than the Truett spelling, this form has nevertheless seen a quiet uptake, given to 92 boys in a recent year. For girls, Truitt has, as yet, only appeared in the stats once when 5 girls received the name in the early 2020s.
 
As an English place name, it means "dry wood bend in the river", while from its Germanic roots, it means "true and brave" or "faithful and strong".

Truitt

Wild, lovely place in western Ireland makes wild, lovely name. 

Connemara

Gellért

An old nickname for Andrew, created by adding or swapping first initials, as in the case of Bobbie for Robert, Ted for Edward, and Bill for William. Also used as a surname, it made a brief appearance in the US Top 1000 at the end of the 19th-century and has been given in small numbers since then. It has been more notably used for girls, however, possibly as a spelling alternative to the Xhosa Thandie. 

Tandy

Chemistry has never been used as a baby name before — to our knowledge — but Khemistry appeared on the charts in 2021 and 2022. There was a 1980s band by the name.

Khemistry

Made famous by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whose parents fashioned her name from a musical term meaning "with sweetness". 