Controversial Names 

North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter.  But why not?  West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender.  South, though, not so much.

North

Keir is a single-syllable name that packs a punch, but also has a endearing quality about it thanks to its similarity to the word care. Sometimes used as a short form of the more popular Kieran, it could be derived from the Irish ciar meaning "black, dark".
 
Alternatively, it may be viewed as a variation of the Scottish Kerr, itself from the Old Norse kjarr, linking it to thicket, marshland, and brushwood. Other sources identify it with keir, an Old Scots word referring to a fort.
 
Notable bearers include Keir Dullea, an American actor who starred in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Sir Keir Starmer, a British politician who was the head of the Labour Party between 2020 and 2026 and the Prime Minister of the UK between 2024 and 2026. 
 
The name ranked in the UK charts back in the 90s and 2000s, but fell out of the stats in 2024, coinciding with Starmer's election. In the US, it has been quietly used since the 1960s and saw a small spike in popularity between 1968 and 1972, around the time of Dullea's star role in 2001: A Space Odyssey. A more recent year saw it given to 7 boys, with Kieran or Kyaire being the preferred options.

Keir

Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a strong woman, the power behind the throne. Previously avoided as a baby name, Jezebel is now, along with the also previously avoided Delilah and Desiree, coming into use, helped by its relation to other 'bel' name such as Isabel and Bella.
 
The popular feminist celebrity blog Jezebel upped the name's cool factor. Jezebel is the title of one of Bette Davis's best known early films.

Jezebel

In Nabokov's notorious novel, Lolita is the pet name given by the pedophilic narrator, Humbert Humbert, to his victim: a young girl called Dolores and nicknamed Lola or Lo by her mother. Still, it seems that a few parents are prepared to look past this problematic association, seeing this as a offbeat option for those who defy convention. We would recommend thinking seriously about the background of this name before bestowing it on your daughter.

Lolita

Starlyn

The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the Semitic root, to the Hebrew name Baruch. Barack is also sometimes an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Barak, which stems from the Semitic word for "lightning." Barack Obama may have found it a difficult name to grow up with, but the same won't be true for the many babies starting to be given that name. Other parents are being inspired to use Obama, which is a common surname among the Luo people of East Africa meaning "to lean or bend." 

Barack

Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional spelling, the Mamas and the Papas's Michelle Phillips went further afield with Chynna (of the group Wilson Phillips). 
 The name has been associated with some very glamorous women--China (born Noelie and pronounced Cheena) Machado was one of the first supermodels and a muse for Richard Avedon, and the contemporary actress and model China Chow.

China

A turbulent bad boy name, no matter how you spell it.

Kaos

Lupin is an unusual flower name with roots in Old French, from the Latin <en>lupinus, meaning "pertaining to the wolf". In the literary world, it's the surname of Remus Lupin, a popular character in the Harry Potter franchise and a werewolf.

Lupin

Unisex name in Israel, ideal for a Hanukkah baby.

Orel

Wisecracking waitress name stuck in the luncheonette. Started as nickname for girls named Regina -- queen in Latin -- now mostly a canine choice. 

Queenie

Superhero names are fit for humans today, and there's no reason Rambo can't take his place among a generation of babies named Loki, Odin, and Atlas.

In the eponymous movie, Rambo is the character's surname, reportedly taken from the Rambo apple, named for Swedish immigrant to the US and farmer Peter Gunnarsson Rambo, who adopted the surname Rambo whih may mean "raven's nest". 

Various reports say Rambo is rooted in the German, Scandinavian, French, or Slavic languages. Rambo is a homonym of Rimbaud, the name of the French poet with a very different vibe.

Rambo

Rein, along with Reign, have taken over from Rain as a trendy word name. Should you rein it in or let it rein? Okay, bad puns we know, but that's the downside of word names. This is a true unisex name, given to 15 girls and 12 boys in the US in one recent year.
 
This could work as a Christmas-inspired form of Reign, Reina, and Rain too, as some will think of reindeer on seeing it.

Rein

This upbeat, friendly surname name has appeared on television's Battlestar Galactica a handful of cartoons, and on a literary note, a character in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Sports fans might think of Boomer Esiason, the NFL quarterback turned color commentator. He's not the only athlete to answer to the upbeat nickname.
 
But the reason the name makes the Nameberry database is Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who chose the name for his son in 2016.
 
Boomer may have had a chance at mainstream baby name success, but it became a popular term for people of the Baby Boomer generation in the late 2010s. If you use the name for your child, expect a lot of "OK Boomer" jokes.

Boomer

Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names.  Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison. 

Danger

Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her that if she "finds herself," she'll never go hungry. 

Other unusual botanical names in the series include Primrose, Posy, Rue, and Clove, all for girls. Several of the boys' names come from ancient Rome: Cato, Seneca, Flavius, Caesar.

Katniss the name has less appeal than Katniss the heroine, though it's definitely more attractive than Renesmee.

Katniss

Motorsports, champagne, and a particular shade of red might come to mind when you hear the name Ferrari. Associated with fast, flashy cars and motor racing, the name Ferrari derives from an Italian occupational surname.
 
Long before it was a luxury car manufacturer, Ferrari was given to blacksmiths, metalworkers, and metalsmiths, particularly those who worked with iron. It originates from the Latin word ferrarius which is also the origin of ferrum meaning "iron" (and why Iron is represented by Fe on the Periodic Table). 
 
Enzo Ferrari, the founder of car manufacturer, is of course a notable bearer, as is his son Piero Ferrari. As a given name, it is borne by American visual artist Ferrari Elite Sheppard and by Muay Thai fighter Ferrari Fairtex. 
 
In the last four decades, Ferrari has been used as a given name around 65 times in the US - and interestingly, nearly two thirds of those Ferraris were girls. Still, with Bentley, Cooper, and Ford in the Top 1000, perhaps Ferrari could make a cool choice for a love of motors.

Ferrari

Dior, Cartier, Armani, and Stetson are all fashion brands that have crossed into given name territory, and, with last names as first names on vogue, could this luxury French brand name catch the attention of parents to be be?
 
Possibly derived from the Latin Juventas, the Roman goddess of youth, or perhaps from Gervais, meaning "spear", Givenchy is a a French surname and place name with a sleek, stylish feel and a similar sound or flow to Jeremy, Giovanni, or Vincent.

Givenchy

Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the late Heath Ledger's name. But otherwise it's barely used, and perhaps a bit much of a namesake. For a modern boy we'd recommend Heath....or Cliff.

Heathcliff

are names that might cause you and your child some trouble.

From cringing and eyerolls to questions about your morals and values, the names on this list may be viewed as controversial for different reasons and to very different degrees. As such, a name might be considered divisive because some see it as

), whereas others might be divisive because they’re politically and historically loaded (let’s go with the obvious: 

), names associated with racial stereotyping (

),  names of controversial or unpleasant figures in history (

), names of contemporary criminals and creeps (

), names associated with tragedies or hurricanes (

),  names with sounds that might cause teasing (

Does that mean all of these names are off limits? Not necessarily. It heavily depends on where you are in the world, your culture and heritage, and whether you mind others not liking your child’s name. And while we’d definitely advise against some of the names on this list, you might even like the associations or style that would put others off.  More to the point, there is a big difference between using a name others may find too old fashioned or too nickname-y to using a name with heavy, negative, and historical associations.  

So if you do find one of your favorites on this list, we’re not saying you have to rule it out. It might just be worth considering its history and evaluating what others may think on hearing it — and if this could impact you and your child (or not!)

Controversial Names are names with that might cause you trouble. Divisive and controversial names include food names, names associated with bad figures from history, food names, celebrity baby names, names of contemporary criminals, demon names, very religious names, violent names, modern names, and made up names. Whether a name is controrversial depends on where you are in the world.  (Page 13)