By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 31 pages
of 31
Hebrew
"hot, warm"
Along with Shem and Japheth, a son of Noah with a name that's almost never used -- for more obvious reasons than those of his brothers.
Igbo
"tiger"
In its native Nigeria, Agu is a surname that signifies strength and being a force of nature. Agu as a first name has some pedigree, however: most notably via Agu Casmir, a famous Nigerian-Singaporean…
Hindi
"goat"
Retro musical reference to classic Steely Dan rock album, but mostly for girls today.
Ric is a short, punchy masculine name that typically serves as a diminutive of Richard, though it occasionally stands alone as an independent given name. Richard comes from Germanic elements meaning…
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.
English
"elf counsel"
Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.
Alv is a concise masculine name with Nordic origins, particularly connected to Norwegian and Swedish heritage. Derived from Old Norse, the name means 'elf' or 'supernatural being,' reflecting the…
Aed is an ancient Irish masculine name pronounced roughly like 'aid' or 'ayd.' It derives from the Old Irish word meaning 'fire' and was borne by numerous kings and figures in Irish mythology. Most…
Arv is a concise masculine name with Scandinavian roots, primarily found in Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish cultures. It derives from the Old Norse word 'arfr,' meaning 'inheritance' or 'legacy.' In…
Ghanan
"born on Saturday"
Typical African day-of-the-week name.
African, Yoruban
"joy"
Rhythmic and unusual.
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word…
Bar is a concise masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Hebrew, it means 'son' or 'pure,' and is used in patronymic names like Bar-Joseph (son of Joseph). In Aramaic traditions, it…
Short form of Bartholomew
Bartholomew is one vintage name with Biblical antecedents that hasn't risen again in the modern world, perhaps because short form Bart, as in Simpson, would be too difficult for a contemporary boy to…
Meo is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Italian, it serves as a diminutive of Bartolomeo (Bartholomew) or Romeo, conveying affection through its brevity. In Vietnamese culture, Meo…
Vas is a concise masculine name with diverse cultural origins. In Hungarian, it literally means 'iron', symbolizing strength and durability. It can also be found as a shortened form of various Slavic…
Dutch, diminutive of Bastiaan and Sebastian
"person from the city of Sebastia"
Bas is a fashionable name in its own right in the Netherlands, where it's been in the Top 10. Used throughout Europe, it may have a future here as a straightforward-but-charming nickname name. Baz is…
Bax is a concise masculine name with multiple potential origins. It likely developed as a shortened form of Baxter, an occupational surname meaning "baker" in Old English. Alternatively, it could…
Bec is a short, punchy masculine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a shortened form of names like Beckett, Beck, or Rebecca, or it might derive from Old French, where 'bec' means 'beak'…
Latin
"tenth"
Once a birth order name, now might work as a cool x-ending nickname. But be warned that it sounds very close to an unfortunate slang term.
