Updated October 2026
Across 180 pages
of 180
English and Scottish occupational name
"metalworker"
If you're tired of Oliver, you might consider this energetic three-syllable surname instead, so you could have a little Tolly instead of an Ollie. Tolliver is a not-too-obvious occupational Scottish…
English word and nickname
One of the magical words of childhood (and beyond), and associated with actor Treat (born Richard) Williams, whose nickname came from ancestor Robert Treat Williams, a signer of the Declaration of…
English
"camp on the meadow"
Chelsea with dyslexia.
Short form of Cecilia or Celia
"blind or heavenly"
With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback. Ceil had a few years of recorded popularity in the first decade of the…
"divided in two"
Twain can be thought of as a modernization (and possible namesake) of the dated Wayne, seasoned with the humor of Mark Twain, who adopted it from a river term.
Variation of Carlisle, English
"from the walled city"
Might Carlyle (or Carlisle) be the next Carly, which of course was the update on Carla? In 2015, 14 girls were given the Carlisle spelling (vs. 35 boys) but the Carlyle version did not make the SSA…
"yew-tree valley"
A secret nature name for boys.
"upper town"
Uppity name associated with muckraking novelist Upton Sinclair.
"upper forest"
Even more uppity than Upton.
English occupational name
"wool carder"
Unusual, serious, no-nonsense occupational surname that could be borrowed from the boys.
"banner"
He'll have to prove his humility.
English, Irish
"from the marsh or fen; fair"
No, not Ben (you'll say a million times), not Van -- Venn. John Venn was a British logician and philosopher famous for introducing the Venn diagram, which is used in several fields, including logic,…
English from French
"alder"
Upper-class surname in England that might be prime for adoption here.
English word name
"cotton cloth imported from India; a blotched or spotted animal"
A word name with fashionable o -ending that has associations with both the homespun fabric and the mottled cat. Alice Cooper named his daughter Calico decades ago, while it was selected more recently…
English nature name
Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.
Fluttery and flighty. But there are a couple of names that mean butterfly you might consider, such as Yara and Farasha.
"wagon maker"
A surname style name that could make an alternative to Wayne or Wyatt.
Place name
Place names for boys are few and far between; this one would make a singular choice. Prince William of Wales uses this as a surname when required, as in his military life; Jimmy Wales is the…
English or Irish
"broad hill or salmon"
One in the currently modish aden family of boys' names beginning to be used for girls as well as boys. The name Brayden was given to 15 baby girls in the US last year....and over 5000 baby boys, so…
"broad hill"
One of several trendy boys' names now being adopted for girls with feminized spellings.