Updated October 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
English surname and place name
Kipling calls to mind writer Rudyard (b. Joseph) Kipling, author of the stories familiar to schoolchildren Gunga Din and The Jungle Story. Certainly, Kipling is a friendlier name than Rudyard these…
Mung is an uncommon masculine name with diverse potential origins. In some East and Southeast Asian contexts, particularly Vietnamese, it may relate to words meaning "joy" or "happiness." It could…
Russian
"holy"
This common Russian name has a somewhat effete pencil-thin-moustached image here.
Yiddish variation of Selig
"blessed, happy"
A super quirky and upbeat choice, if it can ever shake off its ubiquitous-guy Woody Allen identity.
Henning is a masculine name with Scandinavian and Germanic origins, particularly popular in Denmark, Norway, and northern Germany. It likely developed as a diminutive of Heinrich (Henry), derived…
Irish
"patrician, noble"
Parents of Irish heritage are increasingly looking for more authentic Gaelic names, and this is a native spin on Patrick. Pronunciation will be confusing for many Americans, though: It's POR-rick.…
English word name
"a label attached to something for identification"
Tag is unique word name introduced by the Sweet Home sextuplets. One of the boys is named Tag Bricker. There is also a character named Tag in Elin Hilderbrand's novel turned Netflix Series The…
Norwegian
"safe"
Sarah Palin spelled it Trig, as in the nickname for trigonometry, but Trygg is a genuine Norwegian word name for boys.
English and Scottish surname
"strong arms"
Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.
"attractive"
Thanks to associations with Prince Charming, this name has only ever been recorded for boys. It first made the charts in 2015.
"causing great surprise or wonder"
A big name to bestow upon a baby, but in line with word names that are becoming increasingly fashionable, such as Legend and Royal.
Cheng is a masculine name of Chinese origin that carries significant meaning in Chinese culture. As a surname, it's extremely common, but as a given name, it conveys positive qualities. The meaning…
Gregg is a masculine name that originated as a variant spelling of Greg, which itself is a diminutive form of Gregory. The name Gregory comes from Greek origins meaning 'watchful' or 'vigilant.'…
English
"son of the courageous one"
For fans of Warren G. All two of them.
Nature name
Usain Bolt chose Lightning as the middle name for his daughter — Olympia Lightning Bolt. Mainstream parents have taken a liking to Lightning as a boy name — it debuted on the charts in 2021, and was…
Chinese and Vietnamese
"dragon"
An Asian name that may be thought of as an English word name, for better or worse.
Golding is an uncommon masculine name that originated as an English surname derived from the Old English 'golde,' meaning 'gold' or 'golden.' As a given name, it carries connotations of value,…
Scottish
"man from Flanders"
This surname is the name of a Scottish clan and means "man from Flanders". It was used for zero babies in 2021, but has appeal.
Flemyng is an unusual masculine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Fleming, which originated as a surname indicating someone from Flanders (a region encompassing parts of modern Belgium,…
If it's not too phlegmatic for you, this surname and name of a Scottish clan could honor a number of people, especially Alexander Fleming, the father of antibiotics, and Ian Fleming, the creator of…