Names That Mean Modern

This name, which is rising for baby girls in Ireland, looks very like the Irish word for swan, eala ("AL-la"), but the accent on the É changes the pronunciation to "EH-la". Instead, it's likely to be a gaelicized spelling of Ayla, which is popular internationally.

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.

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).

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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

One of the more imposing and intriguing of the combo names.

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.

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

This biblical beast name entered the US charts for boys in 1991, but its history as a name goes much further back. It was recorded on an English Romani woman around the start of the twentieth century. Will we ever see it on a modern girl?

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

Coined in the 1940s: an acronym of "radio detection and ranging".

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.