Updated November 2023
Across 2 pages
of 2
German
"wise protector"
Now that the show has gone into reruns, does anybody still love Raymond? Though it's been long dormant, some parents, including Jack Nicholson, are finding its cool name component, largely through…
Spanish, feminine variation of Ramon
Ramona is a sweet spot name – neither too trendy nor too eccentric. Kids will associate it with the clever Ramona Quimby character in the series of books by Beverly Cleary, also seen on TV. It was…
Diminutive of Raymond, word name, English
"wise protector; beam of light"
Simple, short, and cool, Ray gives off retro vibes thanks to its 20th century popularity, and its links to jazzy Ray Charles and Ray-Ban sunglasses. A popular middle name for boys , it is well…
English and Scottish
"council protector"
This once perfectly respectable surname has suffered decades of abuse, not least by Jerry Lewis's character in the fifties. NFL running back Melvin Gordon stars for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Manx, Scandinavian, Norse
"God is the protector; divine protection"
Ultimately derived from the Old Norse Ásmundr, Asmund is the Scandinavian and Manx form, predominantly used in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In the case of Norway, however, it is much more popularly…
English
"fortunate protector"
The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. In fact, it's already a fairly…
"grace protector"
Eastman is a solid, old-style Atlantic seaboard surname. But as a first name, we think Easton works better.
"wealthy protector"
The sophisticated Edmond and its nearly-identical twin Edmund are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. Parents looking for an alternative might…
Irish variation of Edmund
Eamon is one of the traditional Irish names that has not yet emigrated to the US. This Irish name pronounced ay-mon was popularized by early president of the independent republic Eamon de Valera…
Italian from German
"protector"
Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.) But Elmo also calls to mind the image of St. Elmo's fire--the…
Norwegian
An unusual yet accessible Scandinavian choice, though it might be confused with Harvard.
"brave protector"
Photographer Newton...or that hard thing you wear on your head.
English, diminutive of Melvin
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
Hindi
Another name for the Hindu god-Vishnu.
Irish variation of Raymond
We love this partly for purely personal reasons, since it is one of our surnames. We used it as the middle name of a son –and it can make a good first choice too. Redmond – also found as Reamann or…
"powerful protector"
Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia, US, and a town in London, UK — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.
Sanskrit
"star, protector"
A strong, handsome Indian name with cross-cultural appeal.
Name of one of the three main Hindu gods.
Diminutive of William
"resolute protector"
Will has definitely replaced Bill, not only as a nickname for William but as a stand-alone name as well, partly thanks to England's Prince William, also known as Wills. Currently outside the Top 1000…
Variation of Cleo, Greek
"glory"
Khloe : Chloe :: Kleo : Cleo