Updated October 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
Indonesian
"resin; light"
This gender-neutral Indonesian name feels familiar but unique. Damar is also used among African-American parents for boys.
Spanish
"of the sea"
Cross-cultural name with a great nautical meaning. It boomed in the 1930s and has potential for revival now.
English word name
"sand hill"
Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days. It's also assocated with Frank…
Irish
"unlucky"
Devlin is an Irish name that's fresher and even more devilish than Devin. The earliest written record of this surname occurs in the thirteenth century, when an O'Devlin was appointed Bishop of Kells…
French
"desired, beloved"
Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.
"dark river"
Cheerful but laidback, surname-style Delaney is derived from the Old Irish name Dubhshláine and has become a familiar choice for girls in recent decades. Nevertheless, it has also been used for boys…
English
"day-bright"
Problematic, even if not for Dilbert.
German
"to turn"
Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating…
French fictional name
"From Artagnan"
The name of the protagonist of a trio of novels by French author Alexandre Dumas, most notably The Three Musketeers . D’Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who travels to Paris in search of fortune and…
West African (Fula)
"bold"
Possibly meaning "bold", this West African surname is less commonly found as a first name, too.
"black stranger"
An Irish surname possibility for those who like Daley, Royal, Dougal, and Dolan, though it may sound too much like doily to catch on for modern boys. Nevertheless, it was fairly well used in the 20th…
English, diminutive of Roger, German
"famous warrior"
This old short form might be seen as a little dubious by some, though it could make for a fun pet name, honor name, on update on the still-stodgy Roger. In a recent film, Seeking a Friend for the End…
Latin
"tenth"
Decimus is one of the Roman numeral names used in large Victorian families--in this case for the tenth child. It is now seeing some new life thanks to the cutting-edge fashion for ancient Roman…
"one who avoids"
A common pet name, usually inspired by the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, Dodger was used as a given name for 6 boys in a recent year. Fiction writer Terry Pratchett used Dodger as a character…
French place-name
Dijon is the capital city of the Burgundy region of eastern France, famed for its wine and yes, its mustard. As a first name, it's been brought to wider attention by a few prominent musicians and…
"the time of light between one night and the next"
Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.
Diminutive of Odell, English
"of the valley"
Originally a short form of Odell, a place name turned surname that hails from England.
"Dudda's meadow"
It's easy to love a name that rhymes with "cuddly" and is also attached to the surname Do-Right -- once you ignore the "dud" connection. Dudley has aristocratic roots--the name was originally famous…
"hill peninsula"
Gentle and southern-inflected, redolent of the North Carolina landscape.
Word name
Dagger is one of the new badass baby names , a sharp and scary choice that some parents may feel arm their child for battle in a cruel modern world.