​
​
Advanced Search

Modern Baby Names

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Mon Apr 01 2024
Modern Baby Names

Modern baby names are names that have been coined in recent years. Modern names might be names invented from place names, nature names, or last names. Or they might be invented names or names with original spelling variations.

Modern girl names rising in popularity include invented names that end in the "lee" sound, such as Everly and Blakeley. Last names or boys' names imported to the girls' lexicon also qualify as modern baby names, along with nature names like Wren and Jupiter.

Modern boy names we're hearing more of include last names used as firsts, especially when ending with S, like Wells and Bridges. Nature names like Oak and Onyx are trending, along with word names such as Knowledge and Legend.

Many of the most modern baby names are gender neutral names. Some modern unisex names that are trending include Phoenix, Nova, and Zion.

The roster of modern baby names is expanding all the time, as new names are invented, imported, or created from words and surnames. Here are the modern names that are most visible right now, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

New Names

Invented Baby Names

  1. Unique

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Meaning:

      "one of a kind"

    • Description:

      Finding a really distinctive name is probably a better way to make sure your child stands out, but then again, is choosing Unique really any different to parents choosing Saint, Messiah, Chosen, Dream, Miracle, or Blessing?
  2. Atlas

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of the heavens"

    • Description:

      Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
  3. Lyra

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lyre"

    • Description:

      Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
  4. Wren

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "small bird"

    • Description:

      Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular English names for girls.
  5. Royal

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "royal"

    • Description:

      Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.
  6. Juniper

    • Origin:

      Latin tree name

    • Meaning:

      "young"

    • Description:

      Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.
  7. Shiloh

    • Origin:

      Biblical place-name, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "tranquil"

    • Description:

      Cool meets Born Again meets Brad and Angelina, who made Shiloh an instant star when they chose it for their daughter. While Shiloh has risen from obscurity thanks to its celebrity baby use, it hasn't become a star the way brother names Maddox and Pax have. It entered the Top 1000 in 2007, one year after the birth of Ms. Jolie-Pitt.
  8. Everly

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "wild boar in woodland clearing"

    • Description:

      Sweet and stylish, with a sporty, energetic undertone, Everly is a name that ticks lots of boxes.
  9. Hayes

    • Origin:

      English surname and nature name

    • Meaning:

      "hedged area"

    • Description:

      One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. Chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, it has been climbing the US charts since 2009.
  10. Maverick

    • Origin:

      American

    • Meaning:

      "independent, nonconformist"

    • Description:

      It's ironic that the name Maverick is not such a maverick anymore. Heard first in a 1950s James Garner western TV series, and then as the Tom Cruise character in Top Gun, Maverick symbolizes an unfettered, free spirit.
  11. Wells

    • Origin:

      Surname from place name

    • Meaning:

      "spring"

    • Description:

      Wells is a newly-famous baby name thanks to pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who uses it as the short form of the buttoned-up Wellington, name of her youngest child.
  12. Cade

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "round, barrel; battle"

    • Description:

      Strong and modern, Cade shot up the popularity lists around the millennium—it was as high as Number 201 in 2001. Now, it has declined in popularity slightly, but nevertheless remains in the US Top 300, given to around 1200 babies each year. Combined with all the baby Kades, Cadens, Kaidens and Kaydens however, it might feel even more popular that it actually is.
  13. Rhodes

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "where roses grow"

    • Description:

      This is a name we've seen the potential of for some time now — A Greek island and a prestigious scholarship make for a preppy first name with the uber-stylish S ending. Needless to say we were not surprised that Rhodes cracked the Top 1000 in 2022, and we expect it to keep rising. Rhodes was recently chosen by actress Emma Roberts for her son, born in 2020.
  14. Beckham

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "homestead by the stream"

    • Description:

      Who knew there were so many soccer fans in the U.S.? Beckham -- as in British sensation David -- has exploded onto the baby name scene in the past decade.
  15. Nova

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "new"

    • Description:

      Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading.
  16. Shepherd

    • Origin:

      Occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "sheep hearder"

    • Description:

      Shepherd is an occupational surname with a pleasant pastoral feel. It was chosen for their son by the Jerry Seinfelds, which might inspire others to follow their lead.
  17. Callahan

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "bright-headed"

    • Description:

      Callahan, the simpler spelling of Callaghan, is a rhythmic jig of a name whose history harks back to the ancient King of Munster. In the Dirty Harry movies, the Clint Eastwood character is Harry Callahan.
  18. Wilder

    • Origin:

      Surname or word name

    • Meaning:

      "wild, untamed, uncontrolled"

    • Description:

      Rugged, outdoorsy, and full of energy, Wilder entered the US Top 1000 back in 2015. Part bad boy, part Western, part preppy, and part nature-loving, Wilder is given to nearly 800 babies each year.
  19. Phoenix

    • Origin:

      Arizona place-name and Greek

    • Meaning:

      "dark red"

    • Description:

      Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.
  20. Oakley

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "oak wood or clearing"

    • Description:

      As sturdy as Oak, but with stronger roots as a first name, Oakley ticks lots of boxes for modern trends. With its unisex vibe, its nature-based meaning, its surname-y feel, and its popular -lee ending, it's not wonder Oakley is on the rise.