Updated October 2024
Across 10 pages
of 10
English
"from Britain"
One case where a spelling variation improves the name, Britton is used about four times as often as Britain for both genders. Currently, the count of baby Brittons is running at about 4 to 3 in favor…
English occupational name
"baker"
An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from…
Place-name from Dutch
"marshland"
It may be the hippest of hispter neighborhoods, but as a baby name Brooklyn is now on the decline: down from a peak of 120 births for boys in 1999, and over 7000 births for girls in 2011. The most…
"wide river crossing"
Brad in a Brooks Brothers suit.
"broad clearing"
Fading boys' name making fresh start for girls, aided by -ley ending. About 50 baby girls were named Bradley last year in the US, versus 900 baby boys. Bradley got a boost as a girls' name via the…
English nature name
"small stream"
Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.
"fortified enclosure"
Burton originated as a habitation surname that now feels like a appropriate first. Actor Richard Burton, two-time husband of Elizabeth Taylor, was the most famous bearer. Burtie makes an adorable…
German
"to burn"
Brenner is an occupational surname for both a charcoal burner and a distiller of spirits. One of the least used of occupational surnames, it has that 'er' ending that definitely adds to its…
Color name
Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in…
English word name
"fire"
A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of…
English, diminutive of William
"resolute protection"
Most Bills today are dads...or grandpas. The younger Williams are usually nicknamed Will, or called by their full names.
Word name
Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.
English nickname
"friend"
An upbeat and friendly nickname, Bud is more often reserved as a term of endearment, though it was once a Top 500 choice in the US and remained in the charts right up until the 60s. While long-form…
"boulders that rock at a touch"
Sounds too much like buxom.
"dwelling in an enclosure"
Severe surname choice.
"where birches grow"
The Brits say BARK-lee, but we pronounce it the same as the name of the California college: either way it's quite pretentious and of another era.
"peasant, farmer; connection"
For 007 fans, a great middle name choice -- or even a first, Bond fits into the trend of one-syllable surname-style names like Banks, Brooks, Boone, Beck, and Briggs. As an English surname, it comes…
Color and surname
Most color names, like Scarlet and Violet, are definitely female, but not this one. Brown is as rich and warm as the tone it denotes, though we must admit the Italian version Bruno has more spark and…
Short form of Rebecca or English
"one living beside a small stream"
Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.
"someone who lives or works near the barn"
This is a solid surname choice for people looking for a change from Cooper, Parker and Carson. Australian parents will probably instantly associate this name with famous rock legend Jimmy Barnes, but…