Adjective Names

Many parents are seeking a strong name--well there's no denying that Strong fits that bill.

Devoted would certainly stand out and make a statement as a first name, but could make for a cool middle name with religious undertones.

One of the classic hippie word names. In the 1970s, actors Barbara Hershey and David Carradine gave this name to their son...who later changed it to Tom.

An unusual English word name with strong religious undertones — Devout means "having or showing deep religious feeling or commitment" — Devout would make a statement as a middle name.

Unashamedly grandiose word name.

Literature and poetry lovers might use Epic as a word name — an epic is a long narrative poem, typically the story of a hero. But epic has taken on a contemporary meaning of "impressive," which makes it somewhat of a virtue name as well.

If you want to give your child the gift of...gab.

Faith is a classic virtue name, but Faithful is more modern, having only been in the charts since 2003, and somehow more word-like.

Poet is one of the most stylish, stand-out occupational names, and Poetic puts a fresh spin on this artsy, lyrical choice.

A fashionable name that would fit in with cousins Chanel or Dior. Referring to the business of designing, making and selling fashionable custom-made clothing and strongly associated with the chic city of Paris, Couture has a strong feeling of luxury and style.

Remarkable Pettibone was a self-important housekeeper in James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers. Such names were not uncommon in early America, with such choices as Remember and Experience showing up in the records along with Puritan virtue names such as Chastity and Patience.

Along with Joyful, Joyous works as an updated version of Joy. It would make for an inspired middle name to honor an ancestral Joy.

An adjective name that probably won't be used for a baby born in the UK. Short-form Brit is reminiscent of the late 20th-century favorite, Brittany.

Modern update to midcentury favorite Joy.

In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.

Warm and open, but way too much teasing potential.

Despite fitting in with the modern word name trend, Glorious has been in use since 1925, when it first appeared on the charts for girls. At peak usage, it was given to 15 baby girls in 1948, although we expect this could rise now that model Jessica Hart used it for her son.

A handful of baby girls are named Awesome each year, and they better be.

Loving is a lovely virtue name to bestow upon a child, especially as a sweet middle name. Richard and Mildred Loving were an interracial couple who married in the 60s, spurring a landmark Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage in all states. The story of this remarkable couple was showcased in the 2016 film "Loving".

As unique word names pop up more and more in the media by way of celebrity babies, the door is opened for all sorts of adjectives as names. Splendid would make for an unexpected and unusual virtue name for either a boy or a girl.