Updated November 2023
Across 108 pages
of 108
Variation of Briar, English
"thorny patch"
Briar, but less wordy, more surname-y.
Irish
"sorrowful"
Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.
Welsh
"fair, blessed"
The most modern choice in this group, and the most distinctive; the Gwyn form is a common male name in Wales.
Modern invented name
One of the trendiest names for boys, Jax is becoming familiar on the girls' side through the singer/songwriter and Tiktok star Jax, born Jackie.
Turkish from Persian
"tulip"
A floral Turkish name with a lilting sound, Lale appears as Laleh in Persian and as Lalə in Azerbaijani. While Lale is familiar in Turkey, Lalə makes the Top 100 in Azerbaijan. The name is…
Lyah is a contemporary feminine name that likely emerged as a variation of names like Leah, Liah, or Lya. With its elegant simplicity, Lyah combines the popular 'L' beginning with a soft ending sound…
"she who intoxicates"
Meabh, the native Irish spelling of Maeve, is in the Top 100 in Ireland and becoming more popular here in its Anglicized form. Outside of Ireland, life will be easier with the Maeve spelling of this…
Hawaiian, Tongan, and Samoan
"song"
Some sources say Mele is a South Sea Islander form of Mary, but it's also a name in its own right meaning song.
French
"honey"
A sweet way—literally—to honor a Melissa or a Pamela.
Nayely is a contemporary feminine name with possible Spanish or Latin American origins. This melodic name appears to be a variation of Nayeli, which has roots in the Zapotec language of Mexico,…
Turkish
"the Nile"
The Turkish term for the Nile River, popular as a girls' name.
Variation of Noel, French
"Christmas"
If Joely (as in actress Richardson) is a name, why not Noely? As nickname-names become both more acceptable and more fashionable, Noely may be a fresh spin on one traditional name for Christmas…
Polish diminutive of Aleksandra
"defending men"
Variation of Renee
"reborn"
This name is hanging on as Renee, thanks to Ms. Zellweger, and in newer forms Renae and Renny.
English, Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, or Korean surname
"roe deer; wise protector; son of Ruadh; red; clearing; ability"
In the US, the multicultural surname Roe is primarily associated with the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, which granted the federal right to abortion, though elsewhere it might be…
Spelling variation of Sean
"God is gracious"
Shawn is one name that's become less unisex and more distinctly male over time in all its spellings, given to only 14 baby girls and over 500 boys in the US in the most recent year counted. But at…
Femininized variation of Shane
This distinctive variation was chosen for their third daughter by the Eddie Murphys.
Bird and color name
Teal is one of the prettiest and most straightforward of the new color names -- an ideal middle name choice.
Aby is a feminine name with multiple origins and meanings. It can be a short form of Abigail, which has Hebrew roots meaning 'father's joy,' or it might derive from Abraham, meaning 'father of many.'…
Short form of Rebecca or English
"one living beside a small stream"
Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.