By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 755 pages
of 755
English surname
"son of John"
Jennings is a common English surname that originated as a patronymic for the child of someone named Jen, a short form of John. With the craze for s-ending surname names, this one is growing in…
Short form of Alonso or Alonzo, variations of Alphonso
"noble, ready"
Lonnie is one of those antiquated nicknames that is used much more often in the US than you might think, especially as a short form of Alonso or Alonzo, names always on the US Top 1000.
Yiddish variation of Menachem
Mendel is an Old World Jewish name that is also the surname of the founder of genetics.
Mouhamed is a masculine name representing a transliteration variation of Muhammad, the name of the prophet of Islam. The original Arabic name means 'praised one' or 'worthy of praise.' This…
River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish
"champion"
Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue…
Swedish, Norwegian, English
"ancestor, to inherit, legacy; from the low-lying land"
Distinctive yet familiar, Olin is both a Scandinavian name and an English surname. Currently a rare choice, yet reminiscent of popular options, like Oliver, Orion, and Colin. Following its…
Variant of Stephen
If you wanted to try to get people to pronounce your son's first name the way Stephen Curry does, this might be a way to do it.
Symere is a distinctive masculine name with contemporary American origins, having gained recognition primarily through rapper Lil Uzi Vert (born Symere Woods). The name appears to be a modern…
English
"eastern settlement"
Has an upscale aura, perhaps due to the luxury James Bond Aston Martin car.
Spelling variation of Aidan, Irish
"little fiery one"
Aydan has been a popular alternate spellings of Aidan, though it has been declining in usage since 2008. While 106 boys were still given the name in 2024, this was less than half the number it was…
Ayub is a masculine name with rich historical and cultural significance across multiple traditions. It is the Arabic and Persian form of Job, the biblical figure known for his patience and faith…
Eesa is a masculine name of Arabic origin, representing the Arabic form of Jesus (Isa in the Quran). The name carries significant religious importance in Islam, where Jesus is revered as an important…
German variation of Johan or John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
The traditional German spelling of this name, used by Goethe, Bach and many other luminaries. Familiar in the US, but retains an Olde World feel, for better and worse.
Kyrin is a contemporary masculine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of Kyran, which has Irish roots derived from Ciarán, meaning 'little dark one' or 'black.' Alternatively, it…
Norse mythological name
"lock"
Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.
Variation of Oren or Oran, Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"laurel, light, song, little green one"
Orin is one of a variety of similarly-spelled names that have a soft and sensitive image. The Orrin spelling has been known nationally via Republican Senator Hatch. Orin is the name of a character in…
Diminutive of Reginald
"counsel power"
Old time nickname that's starting to sound fresh again, à la Alfie and Freddie.
Short form of Richard, English, German
"dominant ruler"
Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself, blending in with Ronnie, Reggie, Robbie, and Randy. In the US, it last appeared in the charts back in…
Irish, Arabic, Persian
"little king; luxuriant, watered, splendor; thinker, wise"
Riyan is a variation of three popular names: Irish Ryan, Arabic Rayan or Rayyan, and Persian Rayan. While the more traditional spellings are more popular in the US and across the globe, Riyan was…
Hebrew
"god has heard"
Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.
