By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 31 pages
of 31
Vietnamese
"hero, brave, petal, flower"
This simple unisex Vietnamese name has multiple meanings, including "hero", "petal", "brave", and "bright", depending on the characters used to write it. One of the most popular names in Vietnam, it…
Igbo
"spiritual being"
Christian Igbo people use Chi as the name for their god.
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.
Hebrew or Navajo
"fortune; juniper tree"
Simple Biblical name with an auspicious meaning. There are two men named Gad in the Old Testament — one the first son of Jacob and Zilpah, and the other a prophet of King David. Gad can also be used…
Finnish and Swedish diminutive of Joachim, Hebrew
"established by God"
A friendly nickname for Joachim, also used independently in Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, Joa would be pronounced as YO-ah in Finnish, but more like YOO-a in Swedish. Also appearing in the…
Breton and Catalan form of Paul
"small"
Pol, pronounced as "pole," though a popular Breton name, would be an unusual form of a simple classic elsewhere. The Breton Saint Pol Aurelian was known as a slayer of dragons and a founder of…
English, Arabic
"advisor; red; cool, extremely good; thunder"
The cool and edgy Rad might just work as a fresh spin on the likes of Brad, Chad, Rod, and Randy. Used as a word to describe something exciting and extremely good, it's a synonym for cool, awesome,…
Invented name
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky named their baby boy RZA, inspired by the frontman of the Wu-Tang Clan. RZA is the stage name of Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, who has produced the most records for the hip hop…
Diminutive of Winslow, Winthrop, or Winston, English
"friend's hill or friend's village or wine town"
Win is an upbeat, can-do name that can be a short form of one of the buttoned-up British choices above or can stand on its own. Welsh Wyn is another possibility. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell…
Modern invented name
More neo than Neo, this is a name heard in the Power Rangers film title Power Rangers Zeo .
English word name
This cute-as-a-button name conjures playful lion and bear cubs rolling around in long grass. If cute baby names are what you're after, Cub should be on your list.
Hebrew
"my witness"
A possibility for parents seeking a Hebrew name with an English-language sound.
Chinese or Vietnamese
"orchid, mountain mist"
A unisex Chinese name with a range of meanings, depending on the characters used. As a Chinese male name, "mountain mist" is one of the main reasons. In Vietnamese, it means "orchid". > In Slovenia,…
Len is a concise masculine name that typically functions as a shortened form of longer names such as Leonard, Lennox, or Lennon. Derived from Germanic roots, Leonard means 'brave lion,' lending Len…
Lui is a concise masculine name with multicultural roots and meanings. In Italian and Spanish, it functions as a shortened form of Luigi or Luis, respectively, ultimately deriving from the Germanic…
Diminutive of Malcolm, Scottish
"devotee of St. Colomba"
A nickname for Malcolm that at one point ranked independently on the US Top 1000. It still exists as an affectionate pet form, but you’re unlikely to hear a Malcolm introduce himself as Mal.
English, diminutive of Edward
"wealthy guardian"
Ned is a gently old-fashioned Nancy Drew-Bobbsey Twins-era short form for Edward that sounds cooler than Ed and is enjoying a small style renaissance. Usage of Ned in literature goes back to a Ben…
Spanish and Italian
"sheep"
Ovidio Crespo is a Cuban musician known mononymously as Ovi. His name is related to Ovid, the English name of Ancient Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso, who wrote the Metamorphoses .
Arabic mythical name; Catalan form of Rocco
"rest"
An earthy rock'n'roll name with multiple origins. The Roc was a giant bird in Middle Eastern legend.
