A family name that wouldn't appeal to many parents.

A real Greek river, believe in ancient times to lead to the Underworld. It has been in (rare) use as a boy name from 2010 onwards, coinciding with the rising interest in mythological names.

Name with genuine roots that nevertheless feels synthetic.

A rarer spin on River or Everly, using one of the most popular name endings of the moment.

Zaire, the former name of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is an ultra-hot baby name for boys. It's inspired a number of variations, including Zyair, Zyaire, and now, Ziaire.

Most parents would prefer BRADLEY or BRADFORD to get to eternally cool nickname BRAD--unless they wanted to honor cricket legend Donald Bradman, considered the greatest batsman of all time.

Short and feminine, Ria has a rhythmic flow.

To honor the majestic mountain.

The river Ganges in India is also called Jahnavi (literally "daughter of Jahnu") due to a legend involving the sage Jahnu. The Ganges river destroyed his fields, so Jahnu drank up all of the river's water to punish her. The Gods prayed to the sage to release the Ganges, and Jahnu relented and released the Ganges from his ear.

Leotis effortlessly blends vintage and contemporary style, offering old-fashioned charm and not one, but two old-school cool nicknames: Leo and Otis.

Tiberinus was the god of the Tiber in Roman mythology and appears as a character in Virgil's Aeneid. It's related to the name Tiberius, that of an Ancient Roman emperor. Tiberius may be the better choice between the two, if only because it's more familiar.

Maybanke is an Australian name that has a sort of Southern charm that could appeal to many US parents - and is refreshing and unusual without being too challenging.

With the fashion for all names Rom, this strong surname with ties to Old Master painter George has new possibilities. Obviously, it now has more political associations than artistic.

A patriotic choice for parents with a connection to the West African nation. The name Nigeria was coined by colonialists in 1897, after the Niger River which flows through the country. The river name is of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Saharan language. As a girl name in the USA, it had a low-key wave of popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.

Variant of Kendall

Most closely associated with famed English novelist George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair), this English surname is now occasionally sported as a literary first name. Given its meaning, Orwell could also be used by those looking for a more subtle alternative to River.

The surname Bennington denoted someone from one of three towns name Ben(n)ington in England, all meaning "town by the Beane river." The river name Beane was derived from Beonna, an Old English given name.

Duna refers the Hungarian word for the Danube River or to the Icelandic term for the down of a duck. Duna also bears a resemblance to both Dune and Djuna. In this era of word names and invented names, Duna may have a bright future.

Written as Genève, it's the authentic name of Switzerland's capital. The English version, Geneva, is more common as a baby name in the US.