Updated May 2023
Across 6 pages
of 6
Irish
"dark, black-haired"
A name that Yanks might see as overly British, but combined with the right surname, it does have a measure of Sherlock Holmesian dash via Nigel Bruce, who played the original Dr. Watson to Basil…
Hebrew
"comfort"
An underused Biblical name borne by a New Testament prophet, Nahum feels like a good option for parents looking for a rare but traditional name that fits in with current trends. Derived from the…
Scandinavian
"son of Neil"
Perfect name for TV Frasier's effete brother. In the 2020 film Palm Springs , Andy Samberg plays a character with the updated spelling Nyles.
Hebrew place-name
"branch, shoot; watch, guard"
Nazareth, used equally for boys and girls, is one of several place names with religious associations -- Galilee, Jericho --that have been rising in use in recent years. The name may relate to branch…
"miracle of God"
An unusual member of the popular -iah ending clan.
Greek
"victory of the people"
This rarely used New Testament name could make an unusual route to the cool nickname Nico. Borne by the person who helps to entomb Jesus following his crucifixion, it has the powerful meaning of…
Arabic
"light"
More commonly seen as a girl name, where it has roots in both Arabic and Dutch. The masculine variation of Noor is Arabic and used in Islamic communities.
"the winner"
Commonly used Muslim name, also sometimes chosen to honor Egyptian president Gamal Abdel-Nasser.
Spanish variation of Nathan, Hebrew
"given"
Spanish spelling of the Hebrew classic that might prove confusing to non-Spanish speakers.
Japanese, Norse
"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…
Serbian
"new"
Tennis star Novak Djokovic introduced this new first name to the English-speaking world, though it had long been familiar as a surname. The celebrity Novak, one of the greatest tennis players of all…
Spanish diminutive of Daniel
"God is my judge"
So much more worldly than Danny.
"holy"
Possible Gaelic alternative to Kevin and Devon.
Greek mythology name
"night"
Nyx is the name of the Greek goddess of the night, and while it does lean feminine in the US, 27 boys did receive the name in a recent year compared to 69 girls. Short, snappy, and distinctive in…
Russian cognate of Greek Aniketos
"unconquered"
A popular choice in Russia, Nikita is a sharp, zippy choice that became heavily associated with the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the 50s and 60s. Derived from the Greek name Niketas meaning…
"lion of the new city"
Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.
"safe"
Spelled Najee, this was chosen by rapper LL Cool J for his son several years ago.
Latin
"stern"
The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. Nero was born Lucius Domitius…
Variation of Nathaniel, Hebrew
"gift of God"
Arabic or Hebrew
"light or my fire"
A name used in the Middle East but that could easily work in the US. As a girls' name, Nuri can also be a short form of Nuria. It was chosen by Christy Lefteri for the protagonist of her novel, The…