Cool Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 26 pages
of 26
Latin, Germanic, Spanish , Italian., "white, light; elf; dawn"
"white, light; elf; dawn"
Bright, lively, and multicultural, Alba has the vintage mellowness of Alma but spirited feel of Ebba, Phoebe, and Pippa too. Derived from multiple different sources, a recent year saw it appear as a…
English, diminutive of Matilda
"battle mighty"
A surprise recent hit revival with cutting-edge British, Tribeca and Malibu parents; Tillie, also spelled Tilly, is cute, frilly, and sassy all at once. Tilly features in the England and Wales Top…
Latin
"from Antium"
Antonia is stronger than most feminized boys’ names , reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia . Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which…
Greek
"defender"
This name comes from Greek mythology, where the Titans were a band of immortal, powerful giants. Popular movie of 2000 Remember the Titans may be partly responsible for this name's ranking in the Top…
Aramaic
"gazelle"
Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…
Diminutive of Lorenzo
Rakish nickname able to stand on its own.
Botanical names or word name
"herb; regret"
Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine to a fresh alternative to beloved middle name Rose. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in…
"aristocratic"
With parents beginning to show an interest in virtue names for boys, this Puritan favorite just might be revived, for what could be more admirable than nobility in terms of having strength of…
African, Congolese; also literary name
"piece of earth"
When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be…
English, Dutch, Scottish, Greek
"of the; bow warrior; strong man"
Vander is likely a compound of the Dutch elements "Van Der" which prefix a variety of surnames. Meaning "of the" or "from the", they were traditionally used to denote where a family was from. Van der…
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe. In the earliest sources it is recorded…
"rock, stone"
A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…
Animal name
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…
Arabic; Italian; Lithuanian
"returning visitor; happy; echo"
Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside…
Color name, also diminutive of Grayson
The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Gray (or Grey), is one exception, which could make for a soft and…
English
"basket weaver"
Might suggest speed, excitement, even danger, were it not for its best-known bearer, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.
Word name
"royalty; father, senior"
Historically, Sire was a formal term for addressing male royalty, particularly a king. Sire can also mean "father" or "senior" as both a noun and a verb. Now, like Prince, Sir, Messiah, and Saint,…
Nature name
"one who lives by the woods; area covered in trees"
Woods is a nature name that is a cousin to the stylish Brooks and Forest, evoking the entire world of trees. Sometimes used as a diminutive of Woodrow or Edward, Woods is rugged and outdoorsy, with a…
Short form of Luzia or Terézia, Hungarian, Portuguese
"light; harvest"
A short and zippy name that would blend right in with but also stand out among a group of girls named Mia, Gia, Lia and Tia. It is a multicultural choice, used in Hungary as a short from of Terézia,…
"truth"
If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…
