How Many New Word Names Can YOU Create?
Calling all inventive namers! We’ve got a challenge for you.
Remember the days when weird and wonderful word names made headline news? Moon Unit Zappa, Satchel Farrow, Blanket Jackson, Apple Martin… Celebrities have been surprising us with their unconventional choices for years.
Except… they don’t feel all that unconventional any more. In the last few months alone, we’ve seen starbabies given novel word names like Cashmere, Danger, Electric, Falcon, Rocket, Sundance and Wildflower.
Last year’s Nameberry birth announcements included a plethora of cute and quirky choices straight from the dictionary, like Darling, Halo, Prairie, Sparrow, Valor and Waterlily.
And pop culture is getting in on the action, too. Cool character names from the past few years include Hawkeye and Nebula from Marvel, Gale and Glimmer from The Hunger Games, and TV (anti)-heroines named Eleven (Stranger Things), Villanelle (Killing Eve) and Fennec (The Mandalorian).
So, what’s the challenge?
We want to put together a list of cool new word name possibilities that no one’s thought of yet, and we’d love your help!
Here are the rules:
1. English words only
Yes, there are some beautiful words in other languages which would make for great names — Azzurra and Soleil spring to mind — but those are for another list. We’ll make an exception for foreign-origin words that are also commonly used in English, like Cavalier or Samba.
2. In line with current trends
We’re looking for word name ideas that feel fresh, but wearable and on-trend. Think Bluejay, Clarion or Evermore, rather than Burpee, Catastrophe or Eggplant.
3. Never in the US Top 1000
(And ideally, far below it!) You can check the NameVoyager for names which have ranked in the Top 1000 since 1880. You might be surprised at some of the word names that do make the list: like Garland, which peaked at #251 for boys in 1905, or Author, which only dropped out for good in 1944.
4. Suggest as many as you like
Let your imagination run wild! (Hmm… how about Wild?) We’ll pick our favorite suggestions to add to the list, so stay tuned to find out if yours made the cut.
Got it? Great! Aaaaand… GO!
Important note: Please get in touch by email if you can’t comment — we know some members have been having problems recently and we’re working hard on a fix. You can send your new word name suggestions to emma@nameberry.com and we’ll make sure to include them in the running!