By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 76 pages
of 76
French
"unfortunate"
Though more popular for girls in the US today, Mallory first appeared on the SSA list as a boys' name (in 1914). It was given to roughly equivalent numbers of boys and girls for the next several…
English
"joyful"
Cheery word or nickname name which might appeal to lovers of The Lord of the Rings , thanks to the character of Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck.
English word name
"powerful"
A strong modern word name with both spiritual and secular significance.
"wretchedness"
Misery may not make sense as a baby name until you consider that it was used by enslaved people in the early 1800s. It was typically borne by men, but Stephen King used it for a female protagonist in…
"payment, currency"
Not as palatable as Cash.
Naftuly is a masculine name with Yiddish origins, primarily used in Jewish communities. It derives from the Hebrew name Naftali, one of the twelve sons of Jacob in the Bible and a tribal patriarch of…
Irish
"slow, stately, pleasant"
This Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Máille is seen worn by the tomcat "Thomas O'Malley" in the classic Disney film The Aristocats.
English from Latin
"equality"
Russian from Greek
"purple dye"
A rare Russian name derived from the Greek porphyra , referring to a purple dye. More familiar is the Italian and Spanish Porfirio, from the same origins, which hopped in and out of the Top 1000 at…
French variation of Romaric, German, and Scottish surname
"famously strong"
Romary is most commonly seen as a surname, although it would make a charming first name for a boy or girl. It has French and Scottish origins — the French form is a variation of the given name…
Hebrew
"behold, a son!"
Sounds like the gemstone name Ruby, but for a boy this spelling generally derives instead from Reuben or Rueben, and makes for an unexpected nickname.
Saint came into the celebrity baby spotlight by way of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's son and joined the Top 1000 on the boys' list in 2018. Saintly could be a fresh, offbeat version for parents…
Russian variation of Sabellius, Latin
"Sabine"
Saveliy comes from Sabellius, used to refer to the Sabine people of ancient Italy. It is currently a Top 100 name for baby boys in Moscow.
Scooby is an unusual masculine name that gained recognition primarily through the popular animated character Scooby-Doo, the Great Dane from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series that debuted in 1969. As…
English surname, meaning unknown
The exact origins of Seavey are clouded — it may be a habitational surname used for people who lived near the River Severn in England or it could have derived from an Old English personal name such…
"bright meadow"
In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the…
"reserved, timid"
Not the most aspirational word names you could give to a child, although it does work as a nickname. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter Chicago is often called Chi, pronounced "shy."
English surname from Latin
"blind"
A medieval spelling of Cecily/Cicely, which itself derives from Latin Caecilia. Alfred Sisley was a British Impressionist landscape painter.
The fitting name of the slinky dog in the Toy Story movies — best left to a dog, perhaps a Dachshund.
The name of the beloved Beagle from the Peanuts cartoons may not be a suitable choice for a baby, but would make an adorable moniker for a pet.
