Cool Baby Names for Girls and Boys

  1. Sire
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "royalty; father, senior"
    • Description:

      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, this title is now a name on the rise.
  2. Milan
    • Origin:

      Italian place name or Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "the middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"
    • Description:

      In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009. Currently, it is given to three boys for everyone one girl.
  3. Rook
    • Origin:

      English nature name, Persian
    • Meaning:

      "crow; chariot"
    • Description:

      Rook is a choose-your-own-adventure type of name. It has so many meanings and associations, that you have the freedom of choice to decide what resonates with you.
  4. Bee
    • Origin:

      Animal name or diminutive of Beatrice, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "she who brings happiness"
    • Description:

      We've seen Beatrice and Beatrix climb in popularity, along with traditional nickname Bea. And now there's Bee, giving it a buzzy nature world spin, plus a tie to popular late night TV''s Samantha Bee, not to mention Aunt Bee on the old The Andy Griffith Show TV show. Bee can theoretically be short for any girl names starting with B.
  5. Temperance
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Description:

      Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names.
  6. Zia
    • Origin:

      Latin; Arabic; Italian
    • Meaning:

      "grain; light, splendor; aunt"
    • Description:

      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. If you're searching for girl names that work in many cultures, this is an accessible yet distinctive choice. One caveat though: in an Italian-American family it would be strange to have a baby named Aunt.
  7. Anakin
    • Origin:

      American invented name
    • Description:

      Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is the antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy. The name Anakin first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. Its meaning is unknown but is thought to be an homage to a friend of George Lucas.
  8. Ari
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lion of God"
    • Description:

      In 2010, baby boys named Ari outnumbered baby girls 4 to 1; today, there are nearly equal numbers of boys and girls named Ari. And that's only counting the babies who receive Ari as a full name. Ari can also be short for not only Ariel but Aria, Arya, Ariana, and any other name starting with Ari. Ari entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 2016.
  9. Story
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "an account of incidents or events"
    • Description:

      An imaginative choice with an uptempo Cory/Rory/Tori sound, perfect for the child of a writer — or anyone with a good story to tell. Story has been finding some appreciation among celebs like Minnie Driver and others as a middle name. This is just one of the literary word names that have recently entered the realm of possibility, such as Fable, Sonnet and Poem.
  10. Ridge
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "an elevated body part or structure"
    • Description:

      Ridge may be the quintessential daytime drama name, but it's still better than most. This is one word name rising rapidly through the ranks, reentering the US Top 1000 in 2015 for the first time since 1989.
  11. Galilea
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Galileo, after "Galilee"
    • Meaning:

      "Galilee"
    • Description:

      Like the masculine form Galileo, Galilea is a variant of Galilee, a region in Northern Israel of great Biblical significance. Given the current popularity of soft Italian girls’ names, this name’s long historical roots, its beautiful sound and the potential for cute nicknames (Leia, Lil, Ally, etc) it’s no surprise that this name has been on the rise in recent years.
  12. Locke
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "enclosure or fortified place"
    • Description:

      Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically gender-neutral.
  13. Arrow
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Words are not always easy to translate into baby names, but the implications of being straight and swift lend this one great potential as a name. It also has the popular o-sound ending, which brings it further into the realm of possibility. Rising rock star Aja Volkman pulled a gender switch when she named her daughter Arrow Eve.
  14. Coast
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "land near the sea"
    • Description:

      A brisk and beachy word name. For those of us saddened that Cove now has negative connotations, Coast could be an appealing alternative.
  15. Flint
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "born near outcrop of flint"
    • Description:

      Flint is one of the new macho names on the rise today, part old-school tough guy, part rebel. You won't find a tougher, steelier-sounding name; it's part of a genre on the rise along with cousins Slate, Stone and Steel.
  16. Mccoy
    • Origin:

      Anglicization of MacAoidh or MacAodha, Scottish, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "son of Aodh; son of fire"
    • Description:

      One of many Irish and Scottish surnames starting with Mac and Mc that also feel usable as given names, McCoy has a jaunty and energetic sound. The name entered the US Top 1000 in 2020, and was given to around 220 boys in the US in a recent year, along with 6 girls.
  17. Lilou
    • Origin:

      Occitan pet form of French Liliane
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Lilou is a charming, rarely heard import. Occitan is a language spoken in Provence, in the south of France, in which the suffix "ou" denotes a pet form — thus, Lilou as a short form of Liliane or its Occitan form Liliana or Liliano. Its popularity in France--where it's currently Number 12--can be traced to the 1997 film The Fifth Element.
  18. Keaton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "shed town"
    • Description:

      Keaton is an engaging surname with warmth, energy and a sense of humor, identified with silent comedian Buster Keaton and contemporary actors Michael and Diane Keaton. Although rare as a first name, a young Keaton would fit right in with classmates Keenan and Kellen.
  19. Ever
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "always, eternally, constantly"
    • Description:

      A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman.
  20. Geneva
    • Origin:

      Swiss place-name or French
    • Meaning:

      "juniper tree"
    • Description:

      Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name.