Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds · Cool Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Catalan diminutive of Xavier, Basque or Arabic
"new house or bright"
This nickname was given often enough as a standalone to land it in the Top 1000 from 2010—2013.
Latin, French
"I have spoken; tenth"
A sassy, spunky, punchy kind of name, Dixie can also be considered a place name, one that has become problematic because of its association with the antebellum South. The Dixie Chicks recently…
Greek
"departure"
The second book of the Bible provides a dramatic name that's more distinct than Genesis and simpler than Leviticus.
Male variation of Calixta or Latin
"chalice"
Calix is once-obscure name that is starting to see some use in the US, where 62 baby boys were named Calix in 2024. An indirect influence is the actress Calista Flockhart, who introduced Americans to…
Latin
"peaceful"
Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.
French
"cross"
Pronounced "crwa", this unusual name was chosen by Cedric the Entertainer for his son.
Diminutive of Roxanne, Persian
"dawn"
Roxy, also spelled Roxie, is one of those high-stepping showgal names with plenty of moxie, among the many sassy nickname names on the U.K. popularity list--currently Number 398. The fictional…
Greek mythology name
"night"
In Greek mythology, Nyx was a powerful goddess and the embodiment of the night, giving this name a dark yet mystical feel. She is often depicted as one of the first deities, an offspring of Chaos who…
Animal name
One of the fierce new animal names new to name lists, helped by its strong x-ending.
"light"
This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides , originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in…
"hospitable, welcoming, guest"
The name of a Christian saint and a city in Ohio, Xenia is one of the more accessible and intriguing x names. It is the name of one of the Bond Girls--played by Famke Janssen in the film "GoldenEye."…
German
"people of the dagger"
Saxon is unusual word name that nevertheless feels right on trend, with that sharp X in the middle and that two-syllable-ending-in-n pattern. Reminiscent of Roman but not yet so popular, Saxon is one…
English occupational name
"baker"
An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from…
Scottish
"son of Dick"
A relatively common surname, Dixon would be an inventive way to honor an ancestral Richard or Dick, the X form a lot livelier than the Dickson spelling, just as Dix is a more modern short form than…
"mourner, earth land"
Ajax is the name of two Greek heroes, both who fought in the Trojan war and feature in Homer's "Iliad". Distinctive yet familiar in sound, thanks to similar choices like Jack, Asa, and Ajay, Ajax is…
Russian, Greek
Alexei could well join the legion of Alex names popular in the US. There are countless opportunities to liven up Alexander, and Alexei (or Alexey) is one of the most straightforward and appealing.
Place-name, nickname for state of Texas resident
Despite its rakish western charm, still remains a cowboy costume without a real persona inside.
Dutch and German, from first name Hendrik
"estate ruler"
Hendrix is a trendy first name, complete with cool letter X and the familiar sounds of Henry. Likely inspired by guitar great, Jimi Hendrix, the name is predominantly used for boys, with 1130…
Spelling variation of Zane, variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
As Zane and Zayn (and Zayne) get more popular, can Xane be far behind? Xane is one of the names that have risen the most on the charts since the turn of this century, though it's still under the Top…
