Celebrity Names · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture · Popular Names and Name Trends · Cool Baby Names
Modern Hero Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Neruda
Literary name, Czech
"bad-tempered"
Evocative of the great Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, real last name Basoalito, who took on the surname Neruda to honor a Czech poet of that name. One of the most poetic and arty boy names…
Morrison
English
"son of Morris"
Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.
Montana
Spanish place-name
"mountainous"
Overly trendy western place-name, as stated in the title of our book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.
Lane
English
"a small roadway or path"
Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers. As a word name, Lane means "small…
Lebron
French
"brown-haired one"
The best-known bearer of this name by far is basketball superstar LeBron James. While LeBron James is a great athlete and American hero, only 19 baby boys were named LeBron or Lebron in 2021.
Monet
French artist name, from diminutive of Simon
A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.
Mingus
Scottish, variation of Menzies
"tenants of a manor"
Supermodel Helena Christensen named her son in honor of jazz great Charles Mingus, opening up a whole category of jazzy possibilities: Kenton, Calloway, Ellington, Gillespie, Mulligan, Tatum, and…
Matisse
French surname
Though it's close to the German and French form of Matthew, Mathis, this name of the great artist can work as well for girls.
Loewy
Swiss and German nickname for brave person
Enigmatic choice of enigmatic John Malkovich.
Lowell
French
"young wolf"
Lowell is an upstanding and somewhat conservative name that calls to mind the genteel patrician families of nineteenth century New England, such as the one poet Robert Lowell was born into. Two other…
Malala
Pashto
"sad, grieved"
This name has a hauntingly appropriate meaning for its most famous bearer, Pakistani women and children's right activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousefzai. The name itself is derived…
Yoko
Japanese
"good girl; ocean child"
There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko. Yoko Ono writes her name with characters meaning "ocean" and "child".
Manning
Irish surname
"monk"
For football fans who have decided Peyton has become too feminine. Or they could look to brother Eli for inspiration.
Zevon
Musician name
The late great singer-songwriter Warren Zevon would make a worthy namesake.
Zsazsa
Hungarian, , diminutive of Erzsebet
"God is my oath"
Zsa Zsa is a zippy Hungarian nickname name, sometimes used independently, linked for decades with the Hungarian-born actress Zsa Zsa Gabor--who was born Sari.
Alcott
English
"dweller at the old cottage"
Intriguing alternative that goes beyond Louisa and May, for Little Women fans.
Wright
Wright is a masculine name that originated as an English occupational surname referring to a craftsman or builder—specifically a woodworker or carpenter (from the Old English "wyrhta," meaning…
Woolf
Variation of Wolf, animal name
The spelling Woolf inevitably conjures writer Virginia. If you're a fan of Mrs. Dalloway and the Bloomsbury group, Woolf might be a creative way to combine a trendy animal name with an original honor…
Angelou
Literary name, Greek
"angel"
If you want to move beyond Maya, you might consider this distinctive last name of poet Maya Angelou. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou was given the nickname Maya by her brother and adopted…
Anniston
English surname and American place name
"Anis' town; Annie's town"
A name with plenty of celebrity glamor and contemporary flair, Anniston has a variety of origins. On one hand, it's a place name, deriving from a city in Alabama of the same name. Founded in the late…