By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 127 pages
of 127
Irish
"slender"
Cael is the name of the angel of the zodiac sign of Cancer and also of a warrior of Irish mythology. Its ascendance to the Top 1000 over the past decade probably has to do with its similarity to Cale…
English
"white"
Whit is an uplifting short form of any number of surname-y full names, for Whitman to Whitaker to Whitney. But Whit stands perfectly well on its own and makes for a witty spin on modern virtue names .
Scottish
"blond"
Has a bit of a hayseed image, and that oy sound is tough to work with.
Hebrew
"I have a light"
Lior is a unisex name frequently heard in Israel, capturing the popular light theme through its meaning. For English speakers, the one down side is possible pronunciation confusion with "liar,"…
Norwegian place name, Old Norse
"meadow at the foot of a hill"
Oslo, the capital city of Norway, makes for an intriguing new place name, especially with its bookended O's, as in Otto and leads to cool nickname Ozzie. One Berry has already used it and we predict…
English nature name, Persian
"crow; chariot"
Rook is a choose-your-own-adventure type of name. It has so many meanings and associations, that you have the freedom of choice to decide what resonates with you. In chess, the rook is the game piece…
Anglicized spelling of Shea or Shai, Irish, Hebrew
"dauntless, fine, hawk; gift"
Gentle yet rugged, cool but well established, Shay is straightforward and memorable. An anglicized spelling of the Irish Shea ("dauntless, fine, good" "hawk") and the Hebrew Shai ("gift"), Shay…
"male deer or rabbit"
Comedian Roseanne Barr chose this macho nature name for her son. In the 18th century it was used to describe a dashing, fashionable dressed man. Buck fits in well alongside names like Beck, Jack and…
Variation of Dean, Din, or Dinah, English, Arabic, Hebrew
"valley; religion, faith; God's judgement"
Simple and succinct, Deen is a multi-cultural choice with a number of possible origins. On one hand, it could be a spelling twist on the solid and surname-inspired Dean. Alternatively, it might come…
Avir is a masculine name with multicultural origins. In Hebrew, it means 'air' or 'atmosphere,' connecting the bearer to elemental qualities of freedom and expansiveness. In Sanskrit traditions, Avir…
Arabic
"powerful and beloved"
This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm…
Dael is a compact, gender-neutral name that has been more commonly used for boys in recent years. It has multiple possible origins: it may be a variant of Dale (English for 'valley'), a short form of…
"a narrow valley"
Former cool-boy name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents.
"Yahweh is his brother"
A simple and streamlined Biblical name, Joah borne by several figures in the Old Testament. Meaning "Yahweh is his brother" or "brother of God", it could be an unexpected way to honor a family Joe or…
Modern invented name
Kyan is a quintessential twenty-first-century name, a twist on the twentieth-century standard Ryan. Kyan is used by the grooming guru on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Kyan Douglas (born Eddie), and…
Swedish variation of Óðinn
"god of frenzy; poetic fury"
Oden is the Swedish form of Óðinn — or Odin, if you anglicize it — the highest of the gods in Norse mythology. Ruling over war, wisdom, art, death, law and culture, his name means "inspiration,…
Word name or variation of Amon
Brother for Heaven or Nevaeh.
Arin is a versatile name used for both boys and girls, though more commonly masculine in many traditions. It has multiple origins, including Hebrew roots where it means 'enlightened,' Turkish origins…
Neev is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins and meanings. In Hebrew, it means 'oasis' or 'dwelling place,' suggesting peace and sanctuary. In Sanskrit and Hindi, Neev translates to…
Nature name
Evocative modern unisex choice brought into the spotlight by actress Lake Bell.
