Coolest Baby Names That Aren't Really Names

  1. November
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      November is one of a growing list of month names that can work for a baby boy, and is also one of the ideal names for November babies.
  2. Tundra
    • Origin:

      Geographical name
    • Description:

      With geographical features like Savannah and Sierra and increasingly getting the baby-name treatment, could icy Tundra also see some use? It's only appeared six times on the Social Security rankings, all in the 1960s and 70s.
  3. Glade
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Meaning:

      "clearing in a forest"
    • Description:

      Shady, leafy nature-boy name.
  4. Zeal
    • Origin:

      English from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "passion, fervor"
  5. Free
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "free"
    • Description:

      One of the classic hippie word names. In the 1970s, actors Barbara Hershey and David Carradine gave this name to their son...who later changed it to Tom.
  6. Legacy
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Legacy is proof that any attractive-sounding word can be turned into a name, and this one has the added attractions of an inspirational meaning and a cool creative namesake -- hot young artist Legacy Russell.
  7. Quarry
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Has the offbeat quality and macho feel -- like Stone and Flint -- that appeals to increasing numbers of modern parents.
  8. Early
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A word that's been used, very infrequently, as a name for hundreds of years. Interesting sound and meaning.
  9. Season
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "time of sowing"
    • Description:

      A generic possibility if you don't want to specify Spring or Summer.
  10. Bogart
    • Origin:

      Dutch surname
    • Meaning:

      "orchard"
    • Description:

      What it really means: you're a "Casablanca" fan.
  11. Grove
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Meaning:

      "grove of trees"
    • Description:

      Fresh, evocative choice.
  12. Prairie
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      An evocative, windswept choice that is part of the third generation of western-influenced names, picking up where first Jesse and then Dakota left off, though with a slight feminine edge.
  13. Christmas
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas. Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.
  14. Pipistrelle
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "bat"
  15. Beech
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "beech tree"
    • Description:

      If you prefer the woods to the ocean, you'll want to name your son (or daughter) Beech instead of Beach.
  16. Bravery
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Description:

      This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not? And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so much. Could be used as a middle name, as Talisa Soto and Benjamin Bratt did.
  17. Velveteen
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "soft fabric"
    • Description:

      A fabric name, or an unusual literary option, inspired by The Velveteen Rabbit.
  18. Curry
    • Origin:

      Word name; surname from Ó Comhraidhe
    • Description:

      Perhaps too spicy for some, but this is a popular Gaelic surname that might appeal for those looking to honor a family branch or to fans of legendary British comedian Tim Curry.
  19. Bonsai
    • Origin:

      Japanese plant name
    • Meaning:

      "planted in a tray"
  20. Guardian
    • Origin:

      Occupational name from French
    • Meaning:

      "warden"