Celebrity Names · Name Image
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 13 pages
of 13
German
"army people"
Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents…
Nature name
"one who lives by the woods; area covered in trees"
Woods is a nature name that is a cousin to the stylish Brooks and Forest, evoking the entire world of trees. Sometimes used as a diminutive of Woodrow or Edward, Woods is rugged and outdoorsy, with a…
Variation of Isaiah, Hebrew
"Salvation of the Lord"
Streamlined spelling of the biblical name, as in basketball great Isiah Thomas, falling fast from its height in the charts.
Dutch, Punjabi, Albanian
"from Hadria; gaining; golden life"
There's something particularly attractive about names with an interior " j " and Arjan is a prime example. The Punjabi version is pronounced with a conventional j as in jar; the Dutch Arjan, which is…
"traveling wolf"
A name with plenty of grandeur, but a playful nickname, Wolfgang blends sophistication, wildness, and gothic imagery. While it may feel surprising in this century, it does have an allure for those…
Spanish place-name; "mountainous"
"mountainous"
Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.
Variation of Patton or Peyton, English
"fighting man's estate"
Once an obscure, surname-inspired option, Payton (and Peyton) hiked up the charts back in the 90s, likely inspired by the football star Peyton Manning. While both spellings were more (statistically)…
English rank of nobleman between duke and count
There are ordinary folk named Prince, Earl, and Duke, so why not this rank of nobility as well? Many spellings compete, the most common being Marquis, Marquise, and Marquez. Rapper 50 Cent chose the…
Edson is a masculine name of English origin, meaning "son of Edward" or "Edward's son." The name gained international recognition through the Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento,…
Modern invented name
Elaboration of Dion publicized by the football and baseball star Deion Sanders -- aka Neon Deion.
Slovak; Swedish; Serbian; Croatian; Slovenian, variation of Katherine
"pure"
The Russian version of Katherine is usually Ekaterina, but this form is used throughout Eastern Europe and may be more friendly to the American ear.
Japanese
"smell, fragrance"
Kaori is a Japanese girls' name once largely unknown but brought into the spotlight by celebrity couple Eniko and Kevin Hart, who gave it to their daughter in 2020. Kaori is easily translated in the…
Latin
"love, desire"
The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it. Associated with the Greek…
"of the mind, intellect"
Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…
Norse
"hope"
One of those midcentury shortenings that are starting to sound cool again, though we prefer Van.
French, German, and Dutch form of Sabina, Latin
"Sabine"
A concise choice with a hint of chic, Sabine is the French, Dutch, and German form of the Latin Sabina. While it has never charted in the US, Sabine saw a slight increase in use in recent data, with…
Welsh
"gray-haired"
Floyd was a Top 100 name from the 1880s to the 1940s that somehow developed an almost comical hayseed persona along with a touch of retro jazz cool; it's beginning to appeal to parents with a strong…
African
"handsome"
Originating in Ethiopia, this warm-feeling name is now associated with Phoenix Suns basketball player Amare Stoudemire. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 2005.
Georgian, Russian, Bulgarian, and Belarusian variation of Elijah
"Yahweh is God"
This international variation of the popular Elijah might also be written as Iliya, Ilya, Ilja, and Ilija. It is currently a unisex option in the US.
