Modern Baby Names
- Armani
Origin:
Italian surname derived from Herman or Arman, German or PersianMeaning:
"son of Ermanno; soldier; wish,hope"Description:
Armani is catching on along with other brand names, and this one is among the most gender-neutral — sitting in the Top 500 for both boys and girls. Its similarity to the likes of rising stars Amari, Arlo, and Amias, along with the more classic Arthur and Giovanni helps it feel more "name-y" than "brand-y".
- Kensington
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Kensington is a place name with a number of referents; there are cities by the name in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and the US. As a girls' name, it entered the US Top 1000 in 2015, likely as a fresher way to get to nickname Kensie/Kenzie than Mackenzie, Mckenzie, or Makenzie.
- Lyric
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of the lyre; songlike; a personal, emotive poem"Description:
Associated with poetry, pop music, and the Greek lyre, Lyric has a light and zippy sound to it. Currently more popular for girls in the US, it was in the Top 1000 for boys between 2007 and 2020. Currently given to around 170 boys each year, for every baby boy called Lyric, there are three girls given the name.
- Cobie
Description:
Cobie is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive nickname for Jacoba, the female form of Jacob, meaning 'supplanter' in Hebrew. It's also sometimes used as a unisex nickname for names like Jacob, Jacobus, or Nicole. Cobie has a friendly, approachable quality with its short, bouncy sound. While not historically common, the name gained recognition in the early 21st century through actress Cobie Smulders, star of the television series 'How I Met Your Mother.' This modern association has helped increase the name's visibility, though it remains relatively uncommon. Cobie appeals to parents seeking a friendly-sounding, contemporary name that balances uniqueness with recognizability and works well in casual settings.
- Marleigh
Origin:
Spelling variation of MarleyDescription:
This variation of Marley is gaining momentum due to the popular -leigh suffix, which is all over the US popularity lists. This name in particular reentered the US Top 1000 in 2013.
- Honesty
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"adherence to the facts"Description:
Honesty is one of the modern virtue names, which along with Justice and Destiny are picking up where Faith, Hope, and Charity left off. Is Honesty the most appealing name ever? No, and it's also sure to spark lots of tiresome jokes. Still, Honesty is a positive quality and a lot more appealing than negative word names such as Pistol and Rehab (which both, yes, were given to five baby girls in the US last year).
- Ryder
Origin:
English SurnameMeaning:
"post messenger or cavalryman"Description:
Some parents are choosing this popular boys name for their daughters (in the US there were well over 100 female Ryders born last year). Is it the connection to Winona that makes this feel somewhat more feminine than some other boys’ names?
- Kashton
Origin:
American invented nameMeaning:
"town of the box maker; money town"Description:
This newly invented name takes a cool short form—Kash/Cash—and adds the trendy -ton suffix, a la Ashton, Colton, and Weston. It made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 list in 2015 and has risen up into the Top 500 since then.
From its Latin root, Kash/Cash is an occupational name for someone who makes boxes, however, it is of course also related to the word "cash", as in money. The meaning of this newly coined name could then be "town of the box maker" or "money town".
- Devony
Origin:
Variation of place-name Devon or invented nameDescription:
Devony is a highly unusual girls' name that is occasionally found. While there were no baby girls named Devony on record in recent years, the name has been used over time for a handful of females. It may be a variation of the British county name Devon or a made-up name. Pronunciation follows the same rhythm as Stephanie.
- Campion
Origin:
English botanical name and FrenchMeaning:
"champion, woodland flower"Description:
The campion is a pretty woodland plant with pink or red flowers, whose common name derives from Old French champion "champion". The plant is so called because in classical times, the rose campion was fitted in garlands used to crown victors.
- Hartley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"stag meadow"Description:
Smart and preppy, but with plenty of heart, Hartley is a surname style name that could work as an alternative to the popular Harley, Harlowe, Harper, and Hadley. Quietly used for boys throughout the 20th century, Hartley took off for girls in 2010 after both Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath and baseball player Matt Cain used the name for their daughters.
- Braelyn
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Braden (and Braeden) had his heyday in the early part of the 21st century, giving rise to many offshoots for both boys and girls. But Braelyn and siblings are now on a long downward slide.
- Princeton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"princely town"Description:
This uppity name has been a fast climber in recent years, but we still think it's a bit much. Even abroad, where the connection to the prestigious university will be weaker, any name beginning with "Prince" will sound pretentious.
- Heavenly
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Heavenly, the word that's become a name, has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 for a handful of years now. Heaven and cousins like Nevaeh have been well-used so adding the popular -ly suffix, ala Everly, seems like a natural progression.
- Nirvana
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"place of great bliss"Description:
Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?
- Haisley
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Combine two parts Paisley with one part Hazel and one part Harley, add a dash of Hayes, and voila: Haisley.
- Alamo
Origin:
Place-name, SpanishMeaning:
"poplar tree"Description:
The unique O-ending makes this name memorable, especially for someone with ties to Texas.
- Arcadian
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from Arcadia; idyllic"Description:
Arcadia was a region of Ancient Greece that is now associated with a simple rustic life (way before Cottagecore was a thing). That means this name is not just long and lyrical, but also has a warm pastoral charm.
- Sunshine
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Sunshine was seen as a quintessential hippie name of the 70s, reaching as high as Number 536 in 1975. Now such names are making a bit of a retro comeback, seen, for example, as a character on Glee.
- Kolson
Origin:
Variation of Colson, EnglishMeaning:
"son of Nicholas"Description:
Colson was made familiar by author Colson Whitehead, who helped popularize the K variation as well. Both Colson and Kolson rapidly ascended the charts in 2017, the year following the release of Whitehead's celebrated book The Underground Railroad.
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