Updated October 2024
Across 10 pages
of 10
English
"bear rule"
Berold is one of the more obscure boy names meaning bear, which also include Arthur, Orson, and (in a different vein) Teddy.
"ford where barley grows"
Upper-crusty hotelish surname.
English occupational name
"bellows maker"
Might be an honorific for novelist Saul Bellow, although bellowing is not the gentlest of sounds. Consider Saul instead.
"burnt meadow"
Surname name with feminine final ley. The Welsh name Bryn, though also unisex and veering toward the girl world, is far more attractive.
English and Scottish occupational name
"ringer of the bell"
Simplicity and pleasant associations give the word Bell real possibility as a first name -- but somehow it seems better for a girl, a la Belle.
English from French
"pretty valley"
Belden is a little-used surname-name that might work in this age of Belles.
English surname
"badger settlement"
Brock plus.
Diminutive of Bromley, English
"broom meadow"
Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon , this name sounds strong yet sensitive. Paolini's character is named after another bestselling fantasy author…
Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable. A short…
"pretty face"
Try telling the kids it really means "pretty face" and not "burper".
"small stream"
The final e adds a big purple bow to what has already become a pink name. Try Brook or better, Brooks.
"prayer"
A famous seventh-century saint and church historian whose name has not survived as well as his works. Known as the Venerable Bede, this Benedictine monk is considered the first known writer of…
"trumpet player"
Might make a good middle name for the child of a musician, though people could think you were honoring your BMW.
"beekeeper"
This occupational choice is less appealing than such brethren as Baker and Baxter.
"fair, handsome"
Could be a possible and more modern, namesake for Uncle Neal.
French
"russet-haired"
An old English redhead name -- one of the few that doesn't begin with the letter r -- with references both to a famous French knight and a magical horse. Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin is a…
"baker's meadow"
A more unusual, if slightly snooty, masculine Bailey alternative.
English, originally a nickname for a short person
Nothing but a hound dog.
"monastery where deer dwell"
Innovative architect, inventor, and thinker Buckminster (universally known as Bucky) Fuller makes this vaguely possible.
"grain farm"
Perfect choice if your baby has grandpas named Barry and Eric, but also a bit military.