Updated October 2026
Across 180 pages
of 180
English place-name and surname
"Ellis' town"
Ellington's popularity may be inspired by jazz great Duke, but the name is used slightly more often for girls today, perhaps because of its trendy El- beginning. Like a host of other El- names, from…
English occupational name
"guard, watchman"
Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own.
English
"friend's hill"
Winston meets Marlow in this surname-style choice, blending old-fashioned charm and a hint of stuffiness with a bit of modern edge and breeziness too. Borne by the distinguished American landscape…
"from the windy village"
This artistic and aristocratic surname is a bold and daring choice, but with nature inspired names like Wren on the rise, and surnames-as-first-names being in vogue, Wyndham has seen a shift up the…
Irish
"little slender one"
One of several Anglicized forms of Caolán, this spelling is borrowed from the Old Irish root, cáel . With its stylish -an ending and its cool 'KAY' sound, Caelan entered the Top 500 in England and…
Topographical name or short form of Clifford or Clifton
Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.
English combination of Anne and Marie
"grace + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
One of the most classic smoosh names around, and very international, too. The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…
Scottish surname
"speckled, freckled"
Brice, much more often spelled Bryce, is an old saint's name that now has a sleek and sophisticated image—it feels elegant and efficient. Of the two spellings, Bryce is much more popular for both…
Word name
Sunshine was seen as a quintessential hippie name of the 70s, reaching as high as Number 536 in 1975. Now such names are making a bit of a retro comeback, seen, for example, as a character on Glee .
Variation of Aleah or Italian word name
"risk"
Alea is a genuine girls' name as a sleeker variation of Aleah, a name with both Arabic and Persian roots that means exalted or God's being. But in Italian, Alea means risk or hazard, so it can also…
Variation of Gwyneth, Welsh
"white, fair"
Gwenyth is one of those names it's easy to spell "wrong", as many a delivery-dazed parent has discovered when they named their new baby Issac or Pheobe. If you really mean Gwenyth or Issac or Pheobe,…
"priest's cottage"
Prescott is one of several distinguished, upper-crusty surnames beginning with P. There are several historical surnamed Prescotts, including William, a Massachusetts Minuteman and commander at the…
Variation of Kaylee and Kali with the popular "-leigh" suffix.
English literary name
One of those names like Pamela, Vanessa and Wendy, Lorna was invented for a particular literary character--the protagonist of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore--and then perpetuated as…
Welsh variation of John
"God is gracious"
This Welsh form of John is pronounced Shaun. But most Americans certainly wouldn't know that. Siôn Corn (showing the extra-authentic spelling) is the Welsh name for Santa Claus.
Scottish
"speckled"
Sudsy name that could be a new character on "Days of Our Lives."
English Surname
"town of Anis; Annie's town"
Actor couple Chyler Leigh and Nathan West added this one to the lexicon when they adapted the surname of actress Jennifer Aniston as their daughter's first name, Anniston. With its similarity to both…
English spelling variation of Lauren, Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
The spelling Loren turns Lauren or its male form Laurence into a gender-neutral name. Last year 75 baby girls were named Loren in the US vs. 60 baby boys, making this name a good nonbinary choice. On…
English from German
"territory"
Lander is a name that straddles two trends. It's an er-ending surname name, ala Cooper and Carter. And it's also, more subtly, a green name, in the manner of Fielder or Reed.
English word name
"a statement offered in explanation or justification"
A provocative word name that may strike the right chord for an adventurous baby namer, Reason has begun to sound, well, more reasonable as a name in recent years. While it did first feature in the US…