Clunky Cool Names
Across 5 pages
of 5
Morris
English variation of Maurice
"dark-skinned"
Morris is as quiet and comfortable as a Morris chair, and has the same vintage feel. Once a Top 100 name in the early 1900s, Morris fell completely off the roster in 1995, probably due to lingering…
Myfanwy
Welsh
"my fine one; my woman; my beloved"
A lyrical Welsh name with both poetry and ruggedness, Myfanwy can mean "my fine, delicate one", "my woman", or "my beloved", depending on whether you consider the second element as derived from manwy…
Obadiah
Hebrew
"servant of God"
For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in…
Osborne
English
"Divine bear; divine warrior"
A surname style choice that could get you nicknames Bear and Ozzy, which is pretty cool. It comes from the Old English variant of the Old Norse Ásbjǫrn, which was introduced to England after the…
Osric
English
"divine ruler"
Clad in armor. But while this name may have been forbiddingly antiquated not that long ago, the connection to the trendy nickname Os or Oz makes it a real possibility.
Ottoline
French and English, diminutive of Ottolie
"prospers in battle"
Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter…
Petronella
Greek
"rock, stone"
Petronella, and its shorter sister Petra, are both feminizations of Peter. While Petronella is a name with deep history, it's extremely rare. It was given to no baby girls on record in the US last…
Philomena
Greek
"lover of strength"
Philomena is an earthy Greek name now used in various Latin countries. While it has felt simply clunky for many years, it's starting -- along with such sister names as Wilhelmina and Frederica -- to…
Prisca
Latin
"ancient"
The rarer long form of Priscilla, which comes from the Roman name Priscus, meaning "ancient".
Priscillian
Masculine form of Priscilla or Prisca, Latin
"ancient"
Priscillian is a rare name, both in terms of how little it is used in current times and that it is a masculinization of the Biblical names Prisca and Priscilla. Borne by a 4th century Bishop in…
Prue
Short form of Prudence, English virtue name
"caution"
After a long time in limbo, Prudence is now so clunky it'a cool, and it's starting to make a comeback, along with other Puritan virtue names like Mercy, Patience, and Constance. Its short form, Prue,…
Redmond
Irish variation of Raymond
"wise protector"
We love this partly for purely personal reasons, since it is one of our surnames. We used it as the middle name of a son –and it can make a good first choice too. Redmond – also found as Reamann or…
Richter
German
"judge, magistrate"
A German occupational surname with links to justice and the legal system, but possibly more associated with the Richter Scale, used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes.
Rufus
Latin
"red-head"
Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…
Rupert
German variation of Robert
"bright fame"
Rupert is a charming-yet-manly name long more popular in Britain (where it's attached to a beloved cartoon bear) than in the U.S. Yet we can see Rupert as a more stylish, modern way to honor an…
Scholastica
Latin
"scholarly"
The 6th-century Saint Scholastica was an Benedictine abbess, and is the patron saint of education. In modern times, her name has been connected to various educational institutions, notably an open…
Septimus
Latin
"the seventh son"
Septimus is one of the more dashing of the birth-order Latin number names that were revived by the Victorians. So even if you don't anticipate son number 7, you might be bold enough to consider this…
Sophronia
Greek
"sensible, prudent"
Stately and elegant, but with the familiar sounds of Sophia and Sophie, Sophronia was a familiar choice back in the 19th century but has since fallen into obscurity. Derived from the Greek sophron ,…
Sybil
Greek
"seer, prophetess"
The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and…
Theodoric
German
"people's ruler"
Theodoric feels prehistoric, though with short form Theo one of the hottest names around, this old German names for boys may soon feel new again.