By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Persian literary name
When comedian David Atkins adopted this Arabian Nights-type name, it became almost feasible, but could lead to tough times in the schoolyard.
English word name, German surname
"speck; one from Speck, bacon, butcher"
Not only did rocker John Mellencamp name his son Speck, but he appended the middle name Wildhorse to it.
Starly is a charming feminine name that evokes celestial imagery, likely inspired by stars in the night sky. This modern name may have emerged as a variation of Starla or as a creative combination of…
Word name
You can call your daughter Sugar, but it's probably best to keep it as a term of endearment. For sweet names, you try Dulcie, Honey, Mitsu, Amai, Sherine, Melita, Eulalia, or Melina, but Sugar does…
Word name or diminutive of Barbara
You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.
English
"noblewoman"
Yes, there are lots of kids out there named Princess, Duke, Earl, and King – but you don't necessarily want yours to be one of them.
French
"snake"
Undeniably frightening and undeniably cool.
Spelling variation of Wisdom
Configuration coined by troubled former NBA star Jayson Williams for his daughter.
Wrecker is a new entry to the newly trendy group of badass baby names -- names mostly for boys that sound wild (or Wilder) and summon the kind of kid that races around (Racer), breaking things…
Latin from Greek
"opposite the north"
Ed Sheeran put this continental place name on the map when he used it as the middle name for his daughter Lyra, born in 2020.
Spanish word name
"tornado"
Tornado first meant thunderstorm and only later came to mean whirlwind, the common modern meaning. More recently, Tornado is the first name of a tennis-playing teen whose sister is called the equally…
"nobleman"
Nobility names like Duke and Count seem to be forming a minitrend: actor Danny Bonaduce named his son Count Dante Jean-Michel Valentino. Beat that. Or wait: don't.
Nature name
Several animal names, from Fox to Wolf and even to Tiger, ccan work, but Cougar should stay in its cage. Even John Mellencamp has dropped it.
Spanish
"devil"
Diablo Cody, self-named (she's really Brook Busey) screenwriter of Juno, singlehandedly helped popularize not just her heroine's name and her own but all o-ending names for girls. You don't need us…
Eleven didn't feel more namelike than any other number...until the (female) "Stranger Things" character came along. Now it seems like a possibility - albeit a rare one - for both sexes. Other…
American variation of Espen, Scandinavian
"god bear"
Espn made its debut on the American baby name charts in 2004 and has ranked for at least one sex ever since. It's a uniquely American take on the Scandinavian name Espen, influenced by the basic…
English place-name and surname
Sex doesn't belong in a baby name.
Latin
"vanishing, fading away"
"crown"
Corona was once an improbable choice due to the beer brand. After the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, its firmly cemented its status as a nonviable baby name.
Maybe if you're planning to have only one child -- and iffy even then.
