Fish Names
- Rusty
Origin:
Short form of RussellDescription:
Though as a formal name Rusty is a little, well, rusty, it spent half a century among the Top 1000, departing only in 1995. Only 45 baby boys received the name in the US in one recent year and it's difficult to imagine it as the winning choice of many modern parents. Whether you want an informal name or a spin on a traditional name or even a word name or a name that means red, there are simply too many better options.
- Bob
Origin:
English, diminutive of RobertMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.
- Loch
Origin:
Scottish GaelicMeaning:
"lake"Description:
Loch is a watery word that sounds more like a name because it's one step removed from its English form. Pronounced as "lock," it's also a short form of the variously-spelled Lachlan.
- Klaus
Origin:
German variation of Claus, diminutive of Nicolas, GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Two drawbacks: some unpleasant World War II associations, and the Santa clause.
- Star
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Most parents today would prefer the softer-sell Stella. But Star has symbolic power related to Christmas, so this could make one of the perfect names for December babies.
- Misty
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"mist"Description:
The Play Misty for Me jokes will get old really fast.
- Elvis
Origin:
Meaning unknownDescription:
When the King was alive, and for years afterwards, few people (except Declan McManus who became Elvis Costello) dared use his singular name, but now it's very much up for grabs.
- Wizard
Origin:
Occupational nameDescription:
With the rise of such working names as Gardener, Miller, and Bailey, someone out there might want to dub their child a Wizard — though we're not sure this exactly classifies as an occupation.
- Golda
Origin:
English, YiddishMeaning:
"gold"Description:
A name with an obvious meaning, for a long time associated with Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Nickname Goldie seems to be catching on in the celebrity community.
- Electra
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"amber, shining, bright"Description:
Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.
- Nerida
Origin:
Greek; AboriginialMeaning:
"sea nymph, mermaid; red waterlily"Description:
This is one of the more unusual examples of a group of Greek names connected to the sea, which makes sense for a nation of coastline and islands. The Nereids or water nymphs were the daughters of sea god Nereus.
- Ted
Origin:
Diminutive of Theodore or Edward, Greek or EnglishMeaning:
"gift of god; rich guard"Description:
Like Ed, Eddie and Teddy, Ted is rarely used as an independent name – in the US, at least. In the UK, Eddie ranks just outside the Top 200, Teddy ranks just outside the Top 30, and Ted is a Top 200 pick.
- Blaze
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"fire"Description:
Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000. On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.
- Coast
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"land near the sea"Description:
A brisk and beachy word name, conjuring up rugged shorelines and sandy, summery holidays. While Cove seems to have bounced back from its negative (Covid) associations, Coast might be an obvious alternative. In fact, the two names saw a similar amount of use in a recent year, when 184 boys were called Coast and 167 were called Cove.
- Tiger
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"animal name"Description:
Other wild animals like Fox, Wolf and Bear are catching on as baby names, and Tiger is a rarer option with several famous namesakes, including golf champ Tiger Woods, who was born Eldrick. Other famous Tigers include Indian actor Tiger Shroff, born Jai, and British actor Tyger Drew-Honey, who spells his name with a Y.
- Kairi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"sea"Description:
Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts. Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of the Heart. Kairi entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 and was given to over 400 baby girls in one recent year.
- Struan
Origin:
GaelicMeaning:
"stream"Description:
A strong, eminently usable which is currently highly fashionable in its native Scotland, but little known elsewhere. With its cool two-syllable, n-ending shape and attractive nature meaning, Struan is a fresh Scottish name that feels ripe for import.
- Silver
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby.
- Wanda
Origin:
Slavic or GermanMeaning:
"shepherdess; wanderer"Description:
Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's eponymous novel Wanda. A musical namesake is the great Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska.
- Darwin
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dear friend"Description:
Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000 (it dropped off in 2021 but is back in 2022)—though some might just like its trendy two-syllable sound. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."