Updated October 2026
Across 16 pages
of 16
English word name
"exposure to injury, pain, harm, or loss"
Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names. Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison.
English surname
"keeper of livestock"
Daymond, with many different spellings most prominently Dayman, is an ancient English occupational surname and personal name, taken from the word deye which denotes someone who tended animals. While…
Romani
"I awake"
Django — the D is silent as most everyone now knows — the nickname of the great Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django (originally Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt, makes a dynamic musical choice for…
Cornish
"eel house or Maeldaf's fort"
A punchy modern Cornish name derived from a place name, which is of disputed origin. It is sometimes said to derive from a rare Welsh name, Maeldaf, plus dinas , the Cornish for "fort". Another…
Italian, feminine variation of Dominic
"belonging to the Lord"
Fashionably Continental and much fresher than Dominique, though it's been used since the Middle Ages. Dominica can be spelled any number of ways, from Dominika to Domenica, but we prefer this…
Flower name, from French
"lion's tooth"
The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.
"day"
A bright and optimistic middle name choice.
Doon is a rare masculine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from the Scottish Gaelic 'dùn' meaning 'fort' or 'hill,' or possibly from Irish place names. The name could also be…
English
"dark stone"
A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.
Spanish place-name
The name of cities in Mexico and Colorado, Durango is a pleasant, fresh option from the atlas.
English and French from Latin
"enduring"
Durant's meaning signifies staying power, a good quality to impart to your child. Notables with the surname Durant include Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Will and Ariel Durant, most famous for their…
"dune"
Dune is a haunting and evocative sandy-beach name, which also has sci-fi connections. Dune is a science fiction franchise that was launched by Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. Some interesting Dune…
Modern invented name
One of the oft-mocked Zappa kid names; it supposedly was a nickname his father had for his wife's pinkie toe.
Word name
Cool, musical modern choice, especially as a middle name.
For a boy, Dash is usually short for Dashiell, but as a girl's name it just stands for energetic--and also the stores run by the Kardashian sisters..
"democracy, of the people"
A big, bold, ultra-rare virtue name. Could it follow in the footsteps of Justice and Liberty?
Hungarian river name or Icelandic
"eiderdown"
Duna refers the Hungarian word for the Danube River or to the Icelandic term for the down of a duck. Duna also bears a resemblance to both Dune and Djuna. In this era of word names and invented…
Didion is an unusual feminine name that likely derives from surnames or place names of Greek or French origin. It may be connected to the Greek name 'Didymus' meaning 'twin,' or possibly from French…
American, modern invention
This unusual name belonging to three generations of Deltha Lee O'Neals, the third being a football cornerback for the New England Patriots, could equally--or better--be used for a girl.
"enclosed area of water in a port for ships to load and unload"
A sailing and sea-related choice, which also feels connected to the reparative powers of nature (via dock leaves) and to doctors generally, Dock made the Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th…