Nature, Place and Word Names · Girl Names Lists
Wild Word Names Parents are Actually Using
Across 8 pages
of 8
Grizz
Word name
"grizzly bear; grisly, fearsome; grey-tipped"
Best reserved for pets, mascots, bear,s or a nickname, Grizz nevertheless made its US debut in 2024 when it was given to six boys. Likely borrowed from the name of a North American bear species, the…
Tres
Spanish
"three"
The Spanish word for the number three, not to be confused with the French très (tray) meaning "very", Tres has been used as a boy name in the US since the late 1950s. Given to a small handful of…
Access
Word name
A word name that sounds a bit like Atticus, Axel, or Atlas, Access was given to 7 babies in a recent year. It has the religious connotation of being able to access faith and of having opportunity to…
Excel
English
"to be extremely good, to do better"
An aspirational word name, denoting success and skill, Excel is also connected to the Microsoft computer program. It was nevertheless chosen for five boys in a recent year, joining the plethora of…
Anchor
Word name
"heavy object used to moor a ship; provide with a solid foundation"
Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.
Golden
Word name
"gold colored"
Like Silver, Golden is a shimmering, metallic color name, similar enough to the likes of Arden, Eden, and Gwendolyn that it might not over dazzle. It could work as an unexpected route to the vintage…
Rock
Word name or diminutive of Rocco
"rock or rest"
Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.
Amillion
Invented name
"a million"
A meeting of two trends — compound names a la Myking and Alegend and money-related -illion names such as Million and Billion.
Million
English word name
The most common of the -illion numerical names, which are rising up the ranks.
Reef
Word name
"ridge of rock or coral on sea floor"
Reef is an uncommon nature name with mainstream potential. Its laidback, beach-y vibe makes it a perfect choice for ocean lovers. Although Reef remains well outside of the US Top 1000, it has charted…
Tide
Nature name
As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean.
Maple
English tree name from Latin
"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"
Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…
Cypher
English word name
"code"
Cypher has numerous pop culture references, including bands, a film, and characters known by the name. It first debuted on the charts in 2011.
Arise
English word name
"to stand up, to come into being, spring"
An unusual word name, associated with beginnings and, more literally standing up, parents may be using this with the phrase "He has risen" in mind, in reference to Jesus. As such, it makes a…
Cherish
English word name
So sweet it makes our teeth hurt. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 2006, though it dropped a significant 136 places from 2014 to 2015, and kept dropping to Number 974 in 2016.
Breeze
Word name
Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.
Breezy
English word name
"pleasantly windy"
This light and cheerful word name conjured up imagery of breezy days at the beach, kids flying kites, or wind blowing through the trees — all lovely associations. Sixteen baby girls were named Breezy…
Dutch
Word name
"relating or belonging to The Netherlands"
If Holland works for a girl, why not Dutch for a boy? Well, one reason is that Holland is a place name and Dutch is used to describe someone or something from The Netherlands, but we digress. Dutch…
Coyote
Animal Name
Native to America, the coyote has long been associated with danger and independence and with the popularity of Fox, Tiger, and Wolf, plus that cool KAI sound, Coyote might have potential. Possibly…
Crash
Word name
"colliding violently; sudden loud sound"
Crash is a particularly calamitous entry in the badass boys' name category, taking Wilder and Maverick one -- or maybe a dozen -- steps further. But we can think of at least a dozen reasons you…