Names That Mean Modern

Arya was derived from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "Aryan" or "noble." It is a masculine given name in Iran, Indonesia, Bali, and Sanskrit-speaking regions of India. In Hindu- and English-speaking parts of the world, Arya is more often a feminine name, the latter influenced by the similar Italian name Aria, meaning "air" or "song."

The name of a character from Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga and anime series. She is a strong-willed teenage mechanic, who has consistently been ranked among the best female characters in anime.

A rising star for girls in Ireland, Éala is pronounced as EH-luh and may be inspired by the Irish word for swan, eala, said as A-luh). Alternatively, it may be considered an Irish form of Ayla, meaning "oak tree" in Hebrew and "halo, moonlight" in Turkish.

Parents have been creating their own names from existing appellations since the beginning of time. So have authors, from Shakespeare to George R. R. Martin. As far as modern attempts go, Esmarie, which combines Esme and Marie, has a nice natural flow and a sound that is very pleasant.

This version of Kaden is also a popular choice and one of the many boys' names starting with k that can also start with a C, as in Caiden, Cayden et al.. Kaiden Alenko is a character in the video game Mass Effect.

Leviathan was a name given to 76 boys in the USA in 2021. It makes a rather unusual Biblical choice, being the name not of a man or angel, but of a sea monster. In literature and popular culture, the term Leviathan has since come to be used as a synonym for any gargantuan, monstrous creature or object (think of the bag in VEEP).

Melor is the name of a Breton saint who in legend was also a prince, suggesting he was the son of a Cornish king (Mylor is the Cornish variation of the name). Melor was said to have a foot and hand made of silver,

Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.

Zalie -- which may be styled Zayley or Zaylee or Zaylie, among other spellings -- might be a short form of the flower name Azalea or may also be a cute modern nickname-name used on its own. You might think of it as a member of the squad of names that include Bailey, Hayley, Kaylee and so on, which is always welcoming new members and is one of the prime group of cute baby names.

With the sprightly "Ren" and "Wren" currently in fashion, and "ley" a productive suffix to create new names, this combination was inevitable, and is chirpy and appealing. Renley has been on the US charts for girls since 2012, and for boys since 2013. It probably got a boost from the Game of Thrones character Renly Baratheon, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

A modern choice for girls riffing on the popular unisex name Quinn, with an extra syllable to add substance and formality. And Quinn is still available as a nickname!

It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.

With the sprightly "Ren" and "Wren" currently in fashion, and "ley" a productive suffix to create new names, this combination was inevitable, and is chirpy and appealing. Renley has been on the US charts for girls since 2012, and for boys since 2013. It probably got a boost from the Game of Thrones character Renly Baratheon, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

Coined in the 1960s to define the smallest photographic element of a televised image. It's a portmanteau of "picture" + "cell" or "element".

Hadisa is a gorgeous Arabic name that is the feminine equivalent of the male name Hadith, referring to the collection of the sayings or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad in Islam.

Tibo is a phonetic spelling of the classic French name Thibault (or Thibaut), which derives from the Germanic name Theobald, meaning "courageous people". It has been recorded in France in recent years.

Zaiden grafts the fashionable first letter z onto the Aiden/Kaiden/Jaiden group of names, to popular effect. Soundalike Zayden is even more popular.

Hadith is an Arabic name referring to a collection of the sayings or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad is Islam.

This light, airy name has been given to a few dozen American girls since the early 2000s. It's a legitimate Italian word, but it's more likely to be inspired by the word "angel" backwards.

Hot R & B singer Kelis Rogers's name is a combination of those of her parents' -- Kenneth and Eveliss.