Invented Boy Names

Brixton, a formerly rough but now cool-and-gentrified area of London, is also gaining notice as a baby name, especially for boys. About 20 baby girls were given the name in the US in the most recent year, vs. about 300 baby boys. Its similarity to the trendy Braxton and the x in the middle place help make it appealing to contemporary parents.

With Messiah no longer a forbidden choice, alternative spelling options for the now Top 200 name are being considered. Massiah is one such option, thought there is also a chance it could link to the word mashiach meaning "anointed one". In Jewish tradition, this refers to the one who will be crowned king in the End of Days, not to the Biblical Jesus. It is more likely however that Massiah is being used as a form of Messiah, with around 80 boys receiving the name in a recent year.

No longer a forbidden choice, Messiah has risen up the US popularity charts in recent years, and as a result, some parents have been seeking alternative spelling options. Masiah is one such choice, though it may also link more closely with the Arabic word for Christ, almasih. Given to around 80 boys each year, it is considerably less popular than Messiah, which was chosen for 1909 boys in 2023.

Popular in Puerto Rico since the 2000s and now in the US too, Dariel is a modern, elaborated form or Darrell or Darren, inspired by the likes of Gabriel and Daniel. Darrell (which might also be the inspiration behind Darren) derived from a Norman French surname, d'Airelle, referring to someone who came from Airelle in France.

Lagging about 400 slots behind the original.

As far as variations of Cason go, Kaisyn is relatively rare.

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".

A mash-up of Ezra and the popular -en ending for boys' names. It may be a modern invention, but Ezren sounds legitimate and very on-trend.

Rayden is yet another example of the dozens of new boys' names with the 'aden' sound.

See TADEN.

A newly coined unisex name that, for boys, feels like a cross between Talon and Taylor. One of the many unique unisex names invented from elements popular in other names.

A recently-created Slovene name with no etymological roots. Naj debuted in the Slovenian Top 100 in 2019, when it was given to 23 baby boys. However, based on the use of Naja in Slovenia as a diminutive of Anastazija or Natalija as well as a stand alone name, Naj (and similar Nai) might have come about in a similar way, from Nikolaj or Nikolai, for example.

Braelyn just barely qualifies as a unisex name, being used for girls over 89 percent of the time.

Revan is a name from the Star Wars universe that first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He starts out on the light side of the Force, then became a Sith Lord on the dark side before reversing trend and working for the light side once more. Revan first appeared on the baby name charts in 2004, the year following the video game release.

A seldom-used Game of Thrones name, perhaps because its main originator, Tywin Lannister, is as ruthless as any character in the show. Yet the "ty-" beginning is so ubiquitous and popular that Tywin may have some potential... the fact that it's less well-known than Tyrion probably works in its favor.

Jadon is the original Biblical form of this name, but Jayden is by far the most popular spelling, currently in the Top 20. Jaydon is borrowing from both versions, but not improving the name in the process. At Number 999 in 2015, it's in danger of dropping of the charts for good.

Two Zells of note: conservative southern senator Zell Miller, and video-game character Zell, a hero of "Final Fantasy."

Istredd is the name of sorceress Yennefer's former lover in The Witcher series, created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Some sources theorize that the name is related to the Scandinavian royal name Astrid.

Dayvon is a masculine given name that appears to be a variant spelling of Devon or Devin, with the distinctive 'Day-' beginning potentially influenced by names like Damon or Daymond. Devon originally referred to someone from Devonshire in England, while the Irish Devin derives from 'Damh' meaning 'poet.' The spelling variation with 'Day' might also suggest associations with 'day' (light or brightness). Dayvon emerged in American naming patterns in the late 20th century, gaining moderate usage particularly in the 1990s and 2000s. The name exemplifies the trend toward creative respellings and phonetic variations of established names. Dayvon has a contemporary sound while maintaining connections to traditional names, offering a balance between familiarity and distinctiveness. The name has remained in consistent use across diverse communities in the United States.

Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland in Tolkien’s fictional Middle-earth. The word means "long river" or "great river".