Forever Geeky Names
Across 6 pages
of 6
Inga
Norse
"guarded by Ing"
Ing was a powerful Norse god whose name inspired several modern variations -- though Inga has become a caricatured Scandinavian choice.
Irma
German
"universal, whole, great"
A Top 200 choice in the US from the late 1880s to the early 1930s, Irma has nevertheless fallen out of favor with modern parents, and doesn't look set for the sort of comeback that some of her…
Irwin
English
"boar friend"
Son of Irving.
Jutta
Jutta is a feminine name with Germanic origins, functioning as a medieval German form of Judith. The name Judith comes from Hebrew, meaning "woman from Judea" or "praised." Jutta has been used in…
Kermit
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
"without injunction, without envy"
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name. Derived from the Irish surname Mac Diamada, itself from…
Leola
Latin
"lion"
Leola is a feminine name of Latin and German origins. It can be a variant of Leola, meaning 'lioness,' derived from 'leo' (lion), or an elaboration of Leah or Lee. It was most popular in the United…
Lester
Variation of Lester, English
"military camp by the river Ligore"
A popular choice in the US in the early 20th-century, Lester made the Top 100 consistently for 46 years between 1886 and 1931. It then remained in the Top 500 until the mid-80s before dropping out of…
Loren
Variation of Laurence, English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
A variant form of Laurence or Lawrence which ranked in the #200s in the US from the 1900s through to the 1960s. It didn't fall off the boys' Top 1000 until the late 1990s, following the huge…
Lugenia
Lugenia is a feminine name that may have evolved as a variant of Eugenia, which derives from the Greek word 'eugenes' meaning 'well-born' or 'noble.' The substitution of 'L' for 'E' represents a…
Luvenia
Luvenia is a feminine name with roots in both Latin and English origins. It likely derives from the Latin word 'luvens', meaning 'to delight in' or 'to be pleasant'. The name suggests qualities of…
Marion
French derivative of Mary
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Fun fact: Marion was the birth name of movie star John Wayne. Although commonly thought of as a female name today, it was actually more popular for boys until the late 19th century, and was given to…
Maynard
German
"hardy, brave, strong"
Sometimes pronounced MAY-nerd, which is death to a name. However, the name Maynard was given to 25 boys in 2022.
Melvina
Celtic
"chieftain"
Melvina ranked in the Top 1000 for over 65 years in the US, coinciding to a large extent with the years its much more popular masculine counterpart Melvin ranked in the Top 100. Today, Melvin is…
Merle
French
"blackbird"
Originally a nickname for someone who loved to sing or whistle, Merle is sleek but gentle, with a hint of great grandpa about it..
Mervin
Welsh
"sea hill"
A blend of Mervyn and Marvin that is every bit as dated as either of the originals. That -erv sound is difficult no matter what. Mervin is still used today among Amish families.
Millard
Latin
"caretaker of the mill"
If you're looking for a presidential first name, keep looking.
Milton
English
"settlement with a mill"
Once an upper-class British surname conjuring up the epic poetry of John Milton, it then descended to the antics of "Uncle Miltie" Berle, and now has left the stage completely.
Mortimer
English
"dead sea"
Other kids might see a teasible connection to mortician or mortuary. Mortimer is an English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses; it was Walt Disney's original choice…
Myron
Greek
"fragrant, an aromatic shrub, myrrh"
One of many M names -- including Murray, Melvin, Morton, Milton, and Marvin -- given to first-generation Jewish boys to replace the old-fashioned Moses. Now we'd pick Moses over any of them. Myron…
Myrtle
Greek botanical name
Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a…