Updated November 2023
Across 170 pages
of 170
English word name
"enclosed area of water in a port for ships to load and unload"
A sailing and sea-related choice, which also feels connected to the reparative powers of nature (via dock leaves) and to doctors generally, Dock made the Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th…
Dutch diminutive of Augustus, Latin
"great; magnificent"
The Dutch answer to Gus. Pronounce it like the English word and you have a name that means air .
Harve is a masculine name that functions as a shortened form of Harvey, which derives from Old Breton origins meaning "battle worthy" or "iron." This concise variant maintains the strength of the…
Short form of Mathew or Matthew, Hebrew
"gift of God"
This short form of the biblical Matthew relates most directly to the shorter, rarer spelling Mathew. (About 7000 baby boys were named Matthew in the US, versus about 250 called Mathew.) Nearly 50…
Scottish diminutive of Simon
"the listener"
The Biblical Simon has been rediscovered and this appealing short form, an alternative to Sam, might be a way to make your Simon even more special.
Diminutive of Elijah, Hebrew
"Yahweh is God"
If default nickname Eli is too common for your tastes, you may consider resuscitating the antique nickname Lige for your little Elijah. Lige Conley, born Elijah Crommie, was an American silent film…
Abbreviation of William
Were boys really named Wm at the turn of the last century, or was the old-timey abbreviation of William simply what was noted on the official records? We're guessing the latter, but as the Social…
Young is a masculine name that originated as a surname in English, derived from the Old English word 'geong,' meaning 'young' or 'youthful.' As a given name, it has been most commonly used in East…
Diminutive of Montgomery or French
"mountain"
Monty Burns, on The Simpsons , smashed to pieces any goodwill for his first name leftover from Monty Python . But if you drop the "y," you're left with a distinctly Gallic sounding nickname name. If…
Cloyd is a masculine name with Germanic origins, likely derived as a variant of 'Claude,' which comes from the Latin 'Claudius' meaning 'lame' or 'limping.' The name has a distinctive sound that…
Short form of Lafayette, French, English word name
"faith; predestined, destiny, chance"
Briefly in the US Top 1000 in the late 19th century, Fate likely emerged as a short form for the old French name, Lafayette. In the contemporary landscape however, it may well be perceived as a word…
Diminutive of Columbus, English from Latin
"dove"
A forgotten nickname for Columbus, which itself is becoming ever rarer. Radio comedy program Lum and Abner , which ran for over two decades beginning in 1931, featured a character named Columbus…
Chinese surname
"jade; yellow; king; vast; flood"
Wong is a common romanization of the pinyin Chinese family names Huang and Wang, as well as rarer surnames such as Heng and Hong.
Guss is a brief, punchy masculine name that typically functions as a nickname for names like Augustus, Gustave, or Angus. This shortened form carries a folksy, unpretentious charm with its…
Hamp is a masculine name with English origins, primarily derived as a shortened form of Hampton, which was originally a place name meaning "home town" or "settlement." It may also function as a…
Flem is an extremely rare masculine name that likely originated as a short form of Fleming, a surname referring to someone from Flanders (a region spanning parts of Belgium, France, and the…
Hoy is an uncommon masculine name with multiple possible origins. In Scottish contexts, it derives from a place name meaning 'high land' or 'high island.' It may also have Chinese origins where it…
Diminutive of Martin, Latin
"warlike"
Fresher and snappier than Marty and Martin, could Mart be successful as an independent baby name? It certainly has in the Netherlands, where it featured in the Top 300 in a recent year, outranking…
Press is an uncommon masculine name that originated as an English surname. It likely derived from occupational roots, referring to someone who operated a press (such as a wine press, printing press,…
Nature name
A name that's unusual in that changing the i to a y -- as in Byrd -- makes it more masculine.