By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 755 pages
of 755
Naki is a concise, multicultural name with varied origins across different societies. In Japanese contexts, various kanji combinations can form this name, potentially meaning 'inside tree' or 'middle…
Literary invented name
Invented in 1939 as the name of Marvel Comics character Namor the Sub-Mariner. Bill Everett, the creator, decided on Namor after writing noble, dignified names in reverse—Namor is Roman spelled…
Place name from Penacook
"beautiful stream with a pebbly bottom"
The name of a city in New Hampshire which takes its name from the Nashua River, named by the Indigenous Algonquian tribe the Nashuway or Nashua. A striking alternative to Joshua.
Japanese
"born in the summer"
Used for summer-born babies in Japan.
Nazim is a masculine name with Arabic and Turkish origins, meaning 'organizer,' 'arranger,' or 'one who brings order.' It derives from the Arabic root 'nazama' relating to arrangement and…
Hebrew
"my candle"
Gender-neutral choice ideal for a child born during Hanukkah.
Hebrew, meaning unknown
The exact etymology of Nevo is unknown, but it is the name of a mountain in Jordan — the one where Moses looked upon the promised land for the first time and the last place he saw before his death.
Vietnamese
"sleep"
One of the most familiar Vietnamese names, yet still hard on the Western tongue.
Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bosnian, Persian
"nature, disposition"
Deriving from the Persian word, nehad , Nihad is popular in Azerbaijan, and is also used in Bosnia and Syria. Nihat is an alternative form, familiar in Turkey.
Nisan is a masculine name with Hebrew origins, carrying significant cultural and seasonal importance. The name refers to the first month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar, occurring…
Irish
"little pale green one"
Odhran, Anglicized as Oran, was the name of an ancient saint. Today, Odhran is among the Top 100 Irish names for boys in Ireland.
Norse
"ancestor's relic"
Olaf, though sainted and regal in Norway, is slightly oafish here. It is one of those names that has become completely familiar in the U.S. without ever becoming assimilated. Now that he's a comical…
English word name
"sign, foreshadowing"
As word names go, this one is pretty ominous. It's a shame about the dark associations, because it could otherwise be a very fashionable-sounding name, à la Owen and Roman.
Orsen is a masculine name of English origin that serves as a variation of the more familiar Orson. Deriving from Latin roots meaning 'bear cub,' the name carries connotations of strength and…
Ghanaian, Akan
"noble"
The fourth-most common surname in Ghana, occasionally heard as a given name.
English place-name
"from the oxen crossing"
High-collared and straightlaced, with the deadly "Ox" nickname.
Ozell is a masculine name with somewhat obscure origins. It may have developed as a variant of Oswald (from Old English elements meaning 'divine power') or could be related to other 'Oz-' beginning…
Scottish
"church, cemetery"
Taken from a Scottish town, a Scots surname, and the name of an intricately patterned fabric, Paisley means "church" or "cemetery." It ranks highly for girls and is in US Top 100. It may feel a…
Parris is a gender-neutral name with French origins, though it's listed here as masculine. It derives from the surname Paris, which ultimately relates to the famous French capital city. As a first…
English occupational name
"clergyman"
The name Parson might have seemed ridiculous even a few years ago, but when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe named their son Deacon, they opened up a whole new field of ecclesiastical cool.…
