Updated October 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
English word name
"one who wins"
Winner is an uplifting word name that can work for girls or boys. It was recently chosen by rapper Nya Lee for her daughter.
Word name, English
"watchful, vigilant; emerge from sleep"
Unusual word names with a strong, sometimes last-name feel are on the rise, from Chosen to Valor, to Wilder, Ford, and Ledger. With similar sounds to Jake and Waylon, and with a stirring meaning,…
English
"enclosure, homestead"
No low self-esteem for this kid, or so his parents hope.
German
"protecting army"
Formal name lacking any sparkle or sheen.
"wooded place"
Woodsy names for boys are hotter than ever, so we wouldn't be surprised if Woodland gets picked up by unique baby name hunters in the coming years.
Word name or diminutive of Woodrow, English
"row of houses by a wood"
While Woodrow is too forbidding, its nickname Woody is a bit cartoonish, as in Woody Woodpecker and the animated cowboy character in Toy Story. Woody also has a slang meaning that no teenage boy will…
English surname, variation of Wild, English word name
"untamed; undomesticated, uncultivated"
Wilde is a bold choice that equally fits in to a number of contemporary name trends. It's a daring, outdoorsy word name; a surname-style choice; a literary honor name; and a sound-alike for more…
"willow ford"
As a whole Wilford still carries a dowdy, dated image, but each component of the name—Will and Ford—are stylish in their own right. Wilford will be a part of the next generation of grandpa revival…
Diminutive of Winslow, Winthrop, or Winston, English
"friend's hill or friend's village or wine town"
Win is an upbeat, can-do name that can be a short form of one of the buttoned-up British choices above or can stand on its own. Welsh Wyn is another possibility. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell…
"wage war"
Could a child named Warrior be anything but fierce and willful? We count Warrior among our Magic Names , those that are chosen for their ability to influence and protect their bearers. We see Warrior…
Variation of Wallace, English, Scottish, Norman
"a Welshman, Celt"
Strong but breezy with the unisex charm of Ellis and Hollis, this name was famously borne by Wallis Simpson (born Bessie), the woman for whom English king Edward VIII abdicated his throne in the 20th…
Word name
Straightforward yet romantic, this is one newly minted name with long-term appeal, especially as a middle name. It was used as such for Tea Leoni and David Duchovny's Madelaine, whom they call West.…
Asking for trouble.
"wolf power"
Most famous as one of the many middle names of Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter , Wulfric is an earlier form of the medieval English name Ulric. It has also belonged to an 11th- century Earl of…
Scottish
"foreigner, stranger"
More famously spelled Wallis as a feminine name: the woman for whom the King of England abdicated the throne.
Compound name, blending Willa and Mae
"resolute protection + beloved, pearl, may"
A smoosh name with plenty of both vintage and Southern charm. It combines the familiar Mae with up and coming Willa, and might remind people of jazz dancer Willa Mae Ricker.
Winner is a positive word name that entered the lexicon thanks to rapper Nya Lee, who chose it for her baby girl. But this name is a unisex winner with the cute nicknames Winnie or Win.
"whimsical or fanciful"
Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers'…
"farm near the willows; willow town"
With Willow and Willa becoming more popular for girls, surname-style Willoughby could be a more unusual alternative. Meaning "farm near the willows" or "willow town", depending on how you interpret…
American invented name
"willow tree + valley"
The Social Security Lists show Willodean and all its variant spellings to have been used throughout the 1920s and 30s especially in Southern states. There are a few theories on its origins (an…