Science and Technology Names

There's definitely a cold front of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a> moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure, evocative -- and magical. A haunting middle name choice. 
 Rare as a first name, there have been several notable surnamed Snows--including singers Hank and Phoebe, and scientist/novelist C.P. And then there's the dreamy Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.

Snow

This dignified German form of William belonged to two German Emperors and Kings of Prussia, as well as a host of other important historical figures. These include composer (Wilhelm) Richard Wagner, philosophers Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, and physicist Wilhelm Roentgen, who discovered the X-ray. It now sounds rather dated in Germany, however, having dropped out of the Top 20 there in the late 1920s and continuing to decline since.

Wilhelm

The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician, Galileo would make a distinctive hero-name for the son of parents involved in those fields. Deriving from Latin and Hebrew, it refers to someone from Galilee, a Biblical place name associated with Jesus's miracles in the New Testament. 
 
While many might consider it best reserved to the middle spot, it could lead to nickname Leo — and was given to more than 30 babies in a recent year.

Galileo

Seventeenth-century German polymath Johannes Kepler discovered the laws of planetary notion, along with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. A handful of parents use his last name for their sons every year -- with good reason. It's a solid-feeling but <a href="https://nameberry.com/unique-names">unique name</a> with a great, aspirational namesake.

Kepler

The most common of the -illion numerical names, which are rising up the ranks.

Million

Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The name still projects a gentle, scholarly image, while sharing sounds with more popular names like Aiden and Nathan. Bonus: it's also an anagram of Angel.

Galen

Starbaby name that might prove too supercharged for real life, but if like director Robert Rodriguez you're interested only in <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/r">boys' names starting with R</a>, you may need to add Rocket (and Rebel and Racer) to your list. 
Musician and fashion director Pharrell Williams named his son Rocket, telling Oprah, "In the same way the Indians named their children after a force or animal or element, we named him after a man-made machine that was meant to go up, meant to ascend."

Rocket

Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>. Although still very rare in the US, we think it has serious potential to follow the likes of Luna and Lyra up the charts.

 In Spanish, the name means "meadow" and is taken from a title for the Virgin Mary (La Virgen de la Vega, The Virgin of the Meadow).

Vega

Infinity is a name that could have a long, bright future ahead of it, with its bold meaning and fashionable sound. It's an awful lot of name to pull off, but if Destiny can do it...

Infinity

If you can put aside the oil connection, Castor is a mythological option, borne by one of the (half) twins that make up the constellation Gemini, the other being Pollux. A son of Leda and a king of Sparta, and a sibling of Helen of Troy, Castor and Pollux are seen as patrons of travellers and sailors, and of athletes. 
 
The exact meaning of the name is unknown, though speculation suggests it means "shining" (from kekasmai), "wood" (from Doric Greek káston), or, in a more contemporary context, "beaver" from the Greek word for the animal. The latter is unlikely to be the original source, however, given beavers would not have been native to Greece. There's also the Greek katharos meaning "clean, pure" which might be another possible source. 
 
Used by Metallica's James Hetfield for his son in 2000, it may inevitably linked to the aforementioned castor oil, a substance of many purposes, used in soaps, lubricants, brake fluids, dyes, and waxes. Nevertheless, it first appeared in the US stats back in the late 1990s and was given to 21 boys in a recent year.

Castor

A name with a number of variations including the Danish Tyge, the Swedish Tyko, and the Dutch Tygo, which are popular throughout modern Europe. Tycho was also the name of both a 5th century Greek saint and the Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe. 
 
One of those names with two possible derivations, Tycho may come from the Greek Tychon, meaning "hitting the mark", "succeeding", or "luck, fortune", all of which surround it with a sense of confidence and ambition. However, it can also link back to the Old Norse Tóki, which was used as a diminutive for names containing the element Thor or (Þórr). In this case, it would mean "thunder", and related to the Norse god.
 
It is more likely that the Danish, Dutch, and Swedish use of the name is associated with its Old Norse roots, rather than its Greek ones.

Tycho

Men may be from Mars as the saying goes, and the name may derive from the Latin maris meaning male, but soul singer Erykah Badu and Workaholics star Blake Anderson have given it potential as a unisex name after they both used it for their daughters. 
 
Ticking the boxes as a mythological name and as a space-related choice, Mars first appeared in the US stats for girls in 2016. Chosen for 36 girls in 2023, it has been quietly gaining more attention, though it does remain 4 times more popular for boys at last count.
 
Connected to the month of March and to one of the brightest objects in the sky - The Red Planet - Mars could fit in with the likes of Mae and Winter, Luna and Nova, Juno and Freya, Sloane and Quinn.

Mars

This might sound and look like a blend of Ryan, Riley, and Nigel, but it is in fact the name of the seventh brightest star in the sky. Found in the constellation of Orion, its name comes from the Arabic phrase, Rijl Jauzah al Yusrā, , meaning "the left foot of the central one."
 
Associated with stargazing and astronomy, it may appeal to those looking for a celestial choice, as it did for Danish astronomer, Ejnar Hertzprung and his wife Henrietta Kapteyn (the daughter of another astronomer), who chose it for their daughter in in the early 20th century.
 
Given to 15 boys in 2024, it could make a familiar but unexpected choice.

Rigel

This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby. 

Silver

Solar is a new gender-neutral word name used nearly evenly for boys and girls. With both a weather and a heavenly bent, it's a name that's just warming up.

Solar

The great philosopher's name is commonly used in Greek families, and is one that could work for daring, philosophical American ones. With user friendly nicknames such as Ari, Aris, Artie, and Ris, Aristotle is a ambitious choice, associated with morality, ethics, literature, and psychology.
 
Derived from the longer Greek name, Aristoteles, it is made up of the elements aristos meaning "best" and telos meaning "purpose, completion". Borne by a Greek tyrant (Aristotle of Athens), a 19th poet (Aristotelis Valaoritis), and a shipping magnate (Aristotle Onassis), it was given to just 19 boys in the US in a recent year. 
 
More contemporary bearers include comedian and actor Aristotle Athari and rapper Aristotle Pollisco, also known as Gloc-9. It is also the (ironic) full name of a character in the long-running British comic strip, The Bash Street Kids who feature in The Beano. Known as Smiffy, his actual name is Aristotle John Smith. 
 
Other forms of the name include the Greek Aris and Aristotelis and the Persian Arastoo, while Aristotelia is a rare feminine variant.

Aristotle

A chic and sassy French choice, popular in France but likely to be confused with the more prosaic Alex in English-speaking countries. Although sometimes used in the US as a variant spelling of Alex, the French name Alix actually derives from a medieval French form of the name Alice or Adelaide. 

 Several members of European royal family have borne this name, including Alix of France; Alix, Duchess of Brittany; and Alix of Hesse, Empress consort of Russia. More recent are Alix d'Unienville, WWII spy; Alix Kilroy, one of the first British women to become a public servant; and engineer Alix Pryde.

Alix

Theon, an ancient name attached to a noted Greek teacher of mathematics and astronomy, also father to the first woman mathematician, might appeal to parents in this field. You can think of Theon as Theo with something a little extra. Theon is also the name of a major character in Game of Thrones -- albeit a rather notorious character, Theon Greyjoy, who is known as Reek after undergoing months of brutal torture at the hands of sadist Ramsay Snow.

Theon

A form of Adelaide (and therefore related to Alice, too) used in the Netherlands. The country's first female physician was Aletta Jacobs. In the USA, Aletta is rare, but on a slight upward trend. It fits perfectly into the sweet spot of being deep-rooted and straightforward, yet barely used, and has Etta and Lettie as potential nicknames.

Aletta

Sagan is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. Most notably, it gained recognition through association with the renowned astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan. The name has Slavic roots, particularly in Russian and Ukrainian languages, where it can mean 'wise' or 'sage.' In Jewish traditions, it can refer to a deputy high priest. Sagan also exists as a surname in various cultures. The name has seen modest growth in popularity among parents drawn to its scientific associations, intellectual connotations, and cross-cultural versatility. Its simple pronunciation and spelling combined with its meaningful background make it appealing to parents seeking a distinctive yet accessible name for their sons.

Sagan

Science and technology names come from the STEM fields — science, tech, engineering, and mathematics.

, inspired by an influx of celebrity babies with scientific names. Grimes and Elon Musk have a son named Techno Mechanicus, called Tau, and Hilary Swank named her son Ohm, as in Georg Ohm, the 19th-century physicist.

 may be related to famous women in STEM, such as Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, and Mae Jemison. 

 inspired by scientists include Galileo, Fleming, and Hubble.

 might appeal to a science-minded parent — try Cobalt, Xenon, or even Tungsten. 

 are often unique and inherently gender-neutral, like Meridian, Nebula, and Theory.

Browse our full list of science and technology names for babies.

STEM baby names from the fields of science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, with meaning, origin, and popularity (Page 6)