Coolest Baby Names That Aren't Really Names

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

Fresh, evocative choice.

We've seen Haven take off as a nouveau girls' name; Harbor could follow in its wake.

Epic feels like it could be the boys' version of Saga. Epic poetry tells some of our most celebrated stories - from Beowulf and the Odyssey, to the Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost. Despite being short, Epic is a lot of name, so it might be a choice for an adventurous middle name.

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

What it really means: you're a "Casablanca" fan.

A fabric name, or an unusual literary option, inspired by The Velveteen Rabbit.

Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.

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.

Winter, Summer, and Autumn are all mainstream names; this covers all bases.

Jonquil is an unusual flower name that is less outlandish than Daffodil and less common than Daisy. It just might appeal to parents seeking a singular botanical option.

Unlike most flower names, Jonquil wasn't introduced until the 1940s, and saw some usage in the U.K. during the forties and fifties.

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.

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.

True has become an accepted first and middle name; Truth makes an even stronger statement. And with nearly 150 baby boys named Truth in the US in the most recent year counted, as many as were named Ross, the word name is edging up on the Top 1000.

This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.

One of the simplest, most down-to-earth yet evocative of the word names, which could work — especially as a middle.

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.

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.