Updated May 2023
Across 15 pages
of 15
English word name
There's definitely a cold front of names for winter babies moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure,…
Nature name
"sparrow, a bird"
With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.
Hebrew
"gift of god"
The young male star Shia LaBeouf has given this name a male image, but many would consider its sound soft and feminine.
Dutch
"Saxon"
From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…
Latin surname and Native American
"people of the standing rock"
Seneca was both a Roman philosopher-statesman and is a Native American Iroquois tribe. Occasionally used for both girls and boys, Seneca is now a Hunger Games character.
French
"solemn"
This is a soft, soignée French girls' name that has become familiar here via singer Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyonce. It is also the name of a martyred ninth century saint, a poor…
Norse
"fair victory"
Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.
French variation of Tziporah, Hebrew
"bird"
This lovely name is a softened French version of Tziporah, the biblical wife of Moses. Unfortunately, in the US, it's become attached to the cosmetics franchise. The brand Sephora claims to have…
Portuguese variation of Sapphira, Greek
"sapphire"
The Portuguese word for sapphire was formerly a Top 100 name in Portugal.
French diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew
"lily"
Suzette has a kind of clunky retro charm – so kitsch it's almost cool again.
Spanish
"solitude"
This strong Spanish name that refers to the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Solitude) has been made accessible by broadcaster Soledad O'Brien -- who shows how well it combines with an Anglo surname. Her…
Hebrew, diminutive of Samantha, or Arabic
"praised"
Sami is cute if overused in its more familiar Sammy form.
"god has heard"
Short for Samantha or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.
Diminutive of Shoshana or Shannon, variation of Shaina
Part of a group of similar midcentury names rarely given to babies today.
" a supernatural being or essence"
Spiritual word names are becoming more and more popular – think Peace, Bodhi, Zen and Psalm – and Spirit is among the rarer options, given to a couple dozen baby girls each year in the US. It's the…
Scandinavian
"sun gift"
Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died. After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and…
Diminutive of Samantha
"told by God"
Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were…
Irish
"searcher"
Upper crust-y surname Sheridan gains some energy when used for a girl.
Japanese
"child of joy"
Sachi, often short for Sachiko, was given to 25 girls in the US in a recent year. While it is technically Japanese, this short form has an unidentifiably international feel and might be a relative of…
"of the sun"
This sunny new word name is gender neutral, used for 13 baby girls and 12 boys in 2021. Along with other celestial and weather choices, we can see Solar getting hotter.