By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 47 pages
of 47
Word name
"always, eternally, continually"
A word name that parents might choose to reflect the eternal love they feel for their child, Forever is a bold choice, but grounded perhaps by the familiar ev sound heard in Everett and Evan and the…
English
"army guard"
With Yale and Brown in the mainstream, why not this upscale college name and surname as well.
"loaf-keeper"
If it's royalty you're after, stick with Earl or Prince -- this is too deified.
"boundary valley"
A surname-style choice that could work as an alternative to Marshall, Mason, or Arden. A topographical name referring to someone who lived near the boundary of a valley, it could lead to nickname…
English, diminutive of Moses
"delivered"
If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should…
"divine ruler"
Clad in armor. But while this name may have been forbiddingly antiquated not that long ago, the connection to the trendy nickname Os or Oz makes it a real possibility.
"saddle-maker"
Sadler is another new entrant in the trendy occupational surname category, one particularly prime for a horse lover.
English word name, diminutive of Sylvester
A bit too cunning.
"building site"
A solid, brief but not brusque single-syllable surname with a presidential pedigree.
"place in the thorns"
Despite Thornton Wilder, playwright of the perennial Our Town, only a handful of baby boys receive this name each year..
English from German
"old"
Aldous has long been associated with British writer Huxley, author of Brave New World . So many of these rare British names are starting to be reconsidered by the literary or hipster crowds and this…
"large curl"
Though Davy Crockett is a childhood hero, a frontiersman, soldier, politician, congressman and prolific storyteller. But be aware that "crock" is American slang for a lot of nonsense or something…
English, diminutive
"small valley"
The kind of name last found in northern Wisconsin in the 1950s, and even then it was probably a nickname for Delbert.
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…
English variation of Albert
Rocking out on the porch with buddies Hubert, Norbert, and Osbert.
English surname and place name
Kipling calls to mind writer Rudyard (b. Joseph) Kipling, author of the stories familiar to schoolchildren Gunga Din and The Jungle Story. Certainly, Kipling is a friendlier name than Rudyard these…
English, diminutive of Cornelius, Cornell, Nelson
Naming a child Cornelius or Nelson feels increasingly ahead of the curve in today's vintage name-loving climate. But keep Nelly for a nickname (even the rap star was christened Cornell).
"from the oak valley"
Rarely used surname, associated with humorous poet Ogden Nash.
English or Mapuche
"villager, country-dweller; blue"
The y helps a bit, but still a painful image.
"son of Peter"
To honor an ancestral Peter.
