Updated November 2023
Across 7 pages
of 7
Scandinavian variation of Absalom
"father of peace"
A classic in its native Scandinavia, Axel has a cool rock 'n' roll flavor in the US, thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose (born William). With its distinctive letter 'x', it has an effortlessly cool…
Latin and English
"peace town"
Paxton stands out from a lot of other two-syllable surname names for two reasons: the dynamic letter X in the middle, and its admirable peace association, providing the great nickname Pax. One well…
Hebrew
"peace"
Solomon, a name that evokes wisdom and peace, is an Old Testament name that, along with other patriarchal classics, is finally beginning to shed its long white beard and step from the pages of the…
Spelling variation of Geoffrey
"pledge of peace"
The mostly Americanized version of Geoffrey was a trendy mid-century hit, with nickname Jeff the epitome of cool. Jeffrey entered the pop list in 1934 and was a Top 20 name from the mid-fifties to…
Greek
Serene Irene, the name of the Greek goddess of peace and one of the most familiar Greek goddess names , was hugely popular in ancient Rome and again in the United States a hundred years ago. One of…
Biblical place-name or Arabic
"safe"
Salem is a Biblical place name in Canaan, believed to be the same as Jerusalem, as well as the Massachusetts town famous for its late 17th century witch trials. Salem is also a popular first name in…
A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex- ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta. Despite seeing…
"his peace"
Rarely, if ever, heard outside the Jewish community.
Hebrew, Russian, Greek, Finnish, Sanskrit, "watchful one; peace; protectress; earth
Truly multi-cultural, Ira can be: a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace"; a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira, meaning "watchful"; a modern Greek and Finnish form of Hera, meaning…
Variation of Axel, Scandinavian version of Absalom
Guns 'n' Roses musician Axl (born William) Rose created this name by dropping a vowel, a la Barbra Streisand. The traditional Axel is more popular, though celebrity parents Fergie and Josh Duhamel…
Zulu, modern invention
Typically a masculine Zulu name, Xolani is more popular among baby girls in the US. Given to more than 200 girls in 2024, it is a modern creation, blending the stylish -lani ending of Hawaiian names…
Danish, version of Hebrew Absalom
"the father is peace"
Most American parents would choose to use the more commonly seen variant, Axel, but .this form is preferred in Denmark and Norway, and also ranks in the French Top 400.
Lithuanian
"silence, calm, peace"
The name Tyla is not a variation of Tyler -- though some people may use is as such -- but a Lithuanian name meaning silence. There is a uni-named South African singer named Tyla, and it was adopted…
German
The dynamic personality and paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have inspired growing numbers of parents to resurrect this form of the name. It does much better in certain European countries,…
Russian from Greek
Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout…
Word name and variation of Axel, Scandinavian
"axle; father of peace"
Turns Axel into a word name.
Familiar as the most common form of greeting in Hebrew, but also associated with top female model Shalom Harlow.
Arabic
Hawa is the Arabic equivalent of Eve in that it is the name used for the wife of first man Adam. More than 100 baby girls were named Hawa in the US last year.
English; French, from Polish
"destroyer of peace"
Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…
Distinguished by association with renowned African diplomat Salim Ahmed Salim, this name is popular in many variations throughout the Arab world. Its use is growing in the US as well, especially in…