Number Names for Babies
Updated Thu Feb 01 2024
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Number names have been used since ancient times — think Roman names like Quintus and Octavia — and are still being re-invented in today.
Number names can show a child's birth order, or a meaningful number for the family.
This list includes names with a numerical meaning (including "last"), and a few false friends that sound like they *should* be number names, like Quinn and Sixten. Beyonce and Jay-Z famously gave their oldest daughter the middle name Ivy to stand for the Roman numerals IV, representing their lucky number four.
The number names for babies here are listed by current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
- Ivy
Origin:
Botanical nameDescription:
The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also traditionally used at Christmas, make this one of the perfect names for December babies.
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"Description:
Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"Description:
Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname that is still on the rise for girls but beginning to flag for boys. As a female name, Quinn is in the Top 100, used for over 3000 baby girls last year, but toward the bottom of the Top 500 for boys, given to 700 baby boys.
- Tuppence
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"two pence"Description:
This quirky British nickname-turned- real-name is most famously borne by English actress Tuppence Middleton, who was named for her mother Tina’s childhood nickname. There is also a British literary namesake in Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Tuppence Beresford, whose real name is Prudence.
- Primrose
Origin:
English flower nameMeaning:
"first rose"Description:
A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in the Hunger Games series. In the Top 300 girl names in England and Wales and on Nameberry, Primrose remains rare in the US, but is made more accessible by a raft of sweet nickname options, including Rosie and Posy.
- Octavia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"eighth"Description:
Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused Olivia; recommended for its combination of classical and musical overtones. It was chosen for his daughter by Kevin Sorbo.
- Una
Origin:
Latin, Irish, or Old NorseMeaning:
"one; lamb; happy"Description:
In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.
- Quentin
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fifth"Description:
Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and distinctive. It was borne by a third-century saint and came to England with the Normans.
- Winona
Origin:
Sioux IndianMeaning:
"firstborn daughter"Description:
Rode two rockets to fame, with actress Winona Ryder and singer Wynonna Judd. Winona entered the Top 1000 for the first time since 1957 this past year in 2022, following in the footsteps of trending short form Winnie.
- Malachy
Origin:
Irish version of Malachi, Hebrew, or Secundus, LatinMeaning:
"my messenger; second"Description:
This spelling, which came to the attention of readers of the best-selling Angela's Ashes as the name of author Frank McCourt's father and brother, the latter of whom wrote a bestseller of his own, lends the biblical name a more expansive, almost boisterous image. Malachy is one of the Irish baby names that manages to strike the golden mean between familiarity and distinctiveness.
- Tara
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"rocky hill"Description:
Despite a rich history in Irish myth preceding its plantation appearance in Gone with the Wind, widespread use in the seventies caused Tara to lose its Irish accent.
- Sixtus
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"sixth born"Description:
The name of several popes and saints, Sixtus is certainly unusual but would have trouble making it in the modern world outside the Vatican. Even worse is its brother Sextus. Try making it through seventh grade with that name.
- Elva
Origin:
Icelandic and Danish form of Alf, anglicized form of Ailbhe, IrishMeaning:
"bright, light, white; elf"Description:
Elva is a multicultural choice, being both an anglicization of the Irish Ailbhe and an feminine form of the name Alf, meaning "elf". Popular in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, it remaining in the charts until the '70s, but it has not been given since. The alternative form Alva has faired slightly better, while in Ireland, Ailbhe remains the preferred spelling. Nevertheless, Elva combines the sounds of Elsa, Ella, Eva, and Ever and may also appeal to those expecting a baby at Christmas.
- Nessa
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"headlands, promontory"Description:
Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own.
- Tripp
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
The extra p makes Tripp more of a name and less of a Trip. Usually a nickname of a boy who's a third, but Tripp is sure to get more attention in its own right now as the name of Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol and Levi Johnston's son.
- Seven
Origin:
English word and number nameDescription:
This number name first came to public attention when Erykah Badu and Andre 3000 chose if for their son, Seven Sirius Benjamin, born in 1997. Over a decade later, David and Victoria Beckham used it as their daughter's middle name, and now in these days of unisex word names, it's rising for both sexes. It's certainly one of the most name-like numbers: after all, it's only a letter away from Steven.
- Trinity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"triad"Description:
A name that feels both spiritual and trendy, Trinity surged up the charts in the early 2000s, following the release of The Matrix. In just two years, it made an impressive jump from the latter end of the charts to the US Top 100, where it remained for more than a decade.
- Trey
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"three"Description:
Originally a nickname for a third-generation son, as in Thurman Thackeray III, Trey is now being given to others, and it has also expanded to Treynor and Treyton.
- Octavius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"eighth"Description:
Octavius, which was at one time used for the eighth child in a family, has the worn leather patina of all the ancient Roman names now up for reconsideration. As a Roman family name, it derives from the uncommon forename Octavus, which designated an eighth son.