Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Video Game Baby Names
Across 10 pages
of 10
Alucard
Popular culture
"Dracula backwards"
While Alucard has the sound of names like Alaric, Arnoud, and Ealdwine, it is in fact literally Dracula spelled backwards. Used in various bits of media over the years, it is perhaps best associated…
Arc
English word name
Refers, in literal terms, to a curved line -- as in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famed "arc of justice." Could also be used as a reference to Joan of Arc -- Arc being, there, derived from her father's…
Ash
Diminutive of Asher, English
"ash tree"
Ash has Southern charm plus the arboreal-nature appeal. Plus your little boy will prize Ash as the name of the hero of the Pokemon cartoons. Ash can also be a dashing short form of Asher, Ashton, or…
Banjo
Word name
"string instrument"
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda , Banjo…
Cahir
Irish
"battle man"
Cahir along with its traditional spelling Cathair is well-used in modern Ireland. Now it's finding a wider audience thanks to The Witcher , though Cahir is the main villain of the series. It was in…
Cave
Word name
We have Cove and Canyon—why not Cave?
Cloud
Nature name
Like Sky and Sunshine, this fluffy name from the hippie 1970s has floated back onto the naming radar. It's similarity of Clyde and Claude help to ground it.
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…
Cyrax
Invented name
Futuristic variation of Cyrus. Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat video game series.
Dandelion
Flower name, from French
"lion's tooth"
The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.
Dara
Irish, Persian, Punjabi, Khmer
"oak tree, fruitful; wealthy; leader; star"
Though Dara in the U.S. would be considered mainly a girls' name – the most recent count is 10 times as many girls given the name last year than boys – it's a boys' name in Ireland, where it's in the…
Daxter
Modern invented name
Daxter feels like a blend between Dexter and Baxter. If you like it better than either of those, then go for it.
Ding
Ding is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Chinese culture, it's a surname and given name meaning 'strong' or 'steady' (丁), representing the fourth Heavenly Stem in Chinese…
Eivor
Swedish, Norwegian
"careful island; island defender; good luck"
Traditionally a feminine name in Scandinavian culture, where these days it's mostly considered a grandmother name. Americans may associate it with Eivor Varinsdottir, a character from Assassain's…
Ermac
Invented name
Character from the Mortal Kombat video games. Could be an interesting way to get to the nickname Mac.
Ezio
Italian from Greek
"eagle"
An operatic Italian option via South Pacific star Pinza, one of several Italian names currently hot in France. Ezio is the Italian form of the Greek name Aetius. Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego Saldana…
Falco
Italian
"falcon"
Italian surname most Americans will associate with actress Edie Falco, of Sopranos fame.
Fox
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…
Genji
Japanese
Upbeat Japanese name. Video game fans may recognize Genji as the name of a character from Overwatch .
Geralt
German
"ruler with the spear"
Geralt is an antiquated version of the old-fashioned name Gerald, which has been dropping toward the bottom of the US Top 1000 since the early 1940s and finally dropped out in 2021. Geralt is seeing…