Updated October 2026
Across 16 pages
of 16
Native American place name
"rich in springs"
Among the least gimmicky, most appealing and colorful of all the names found in the atlas, Jamaica almost sings out the rhythms of the West Indies. Part of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean,…
Animal name
Grrrr.
Modern invented name
A current creation used far more for boys at this point.
Popular ever since it appeared on the 1987 sitcom A Different World. Inventive variations include Geleexa, Ja Leesa, Ja Lisa, Jaleisa, Jalisa, Jaliza, Jilleesa, Jilleisa, Joleesa, Joleisa.
Hebrew place-name
"beautiful"
A pleasant and adaptable place name for a part of Tel Aviv.
Literary invention
Ginger-homonym created by L. Frank Baum for a General character in his Oz books.
Unusual and unfashionable name found in Toni Morrison's novel Tar Baby .
Invented literary name
A name created for Jellia Jamb, a sweet and beautiful servant in the Royal Palace in the Emerald City of Oz, who appears in several books in the series.
German
"earth worker"
This medieval German form of George could make an intriguing and unique honor name for an ancestral George.
Diminutive of James or Jeremiah
This name of the ten-year-old boy in the much loved and acclaimed modern classic To Kill a Mockingbird could find favor along with that of the character's sister, Scout.
English month name, Latin
"doorway"
Cooler than the older month names like April and May, and a highly unusual and eye-catching choice. The most famous real-life January is female – January Jones – but the month is named for the Roman…
English
"son of Jeffrey"
You might think of Jeffers as Jefferson's much rarer younger brother, or maybe Jeffrey's. unconventional son. Surname-names ending in S -- Brooks, Ames -- are trending now, though Jeffers is…
Feminine variation of Jacob, Hebrew
"supplanter"
Jacobine is a rare -- no baby girls received the name in the US last year -- feminine form of the popular Jacob. But Jacobine has a quirky appeal. The Jacobins were a radical political club formed…
Just because Nicolas Cage gave his son Superman's birth name, Kal-el, that doesn't give you permission to use the name of Superman's father.
Spanish, Portuguese, Tupi-Guarani flower name
"fragrant"
Distinctive and charming nature name that blends elements of Jacqueline and Amanda.
Romani form of Hezekiah
This biblical compound was found on a Romani man in England around 1900, but wouldn't be out of place on a boy today.
Cornish form of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
A rare but appealing and accessible member of the John family. It sees steady low-key use in England.
English combination of Jean and Marie
"god is gracious + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Rather dated smoosh name. The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and…
French word name
"token"
English word name
"joyous"
Along with Joyful, Joyous works as an updated version of Joy. It would make for an inspired middle name to honor an ancestral Joy.