Wonderful Word Names for Babies

  1. Truth
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "the state of being the case"
    • Description:

      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.
  2. Creek
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Intriguing, when seen as a water name a la River and Ocean, but too close to cultural appropriate if used as a reference to the Creek tribe of Native Americans. Another downside is its resemblance to creak, as in creaky bones or floorboards, and to unappealing words like creep and creak.
  3. Stormy
    • Origin:

      Word name; variation of Storm
    • Description:

      Stormy is on the rise following the birth of Kylie Jenner's daughter Stormi, although the starbaby's spelling has taken over the lead.
  4. Deux
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Trey or Trip or even Deuce, yes; Deux is tougher.
  5. Fort
    • Origin:

      French, English
    • Meaning:

      "strong; a protected building, a stronghold"
    • Description:

      A saints name and a word name, this is a modern, original way to convey a powerful meaning, especially in the middle place.
  6. Legendary
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "of legend"
    • Description:

      Although still small in numbers, children named Legendary have increased dramatically over the years. It's one of the ultimate aspirational word names. Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi used it for their son in 2022.
  7. Happy
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "happy, joy"
    • Description:

      Many virtue names have long been in style or have seen a resurgence in recent years. Happy, however joyous, seems unlikely to join this trend. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of being popularly used (in comparison to Joy or Hope) and because it's such a familiarly used word in day to day life (unlike Verity or Felicity).
  8. Trout
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Yes, nature lovers are starting to name their children after all forms of life, including fish, but consider carefully before you cast your line into these tease-infested waters.
  9. Afternoon
    • Origin:

      English, “afternoon”
    • Description:

      An early day name worthy of consideration today for someone seeking a truly unusual name.
  10. Symphony
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Name that makes a dramatic musical statement.
  11. Ivory
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Extremely attractive color name chosen by some African-American families for its reference to the West African Ivory Coast; more commonly used for girls.
  12. Meteor
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A beyond-bold shooting-star name choice, sure to raise some relatives' eyebrows.
  13. Brace
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "to prepare; to reinforce; to strengthen"
    • Description:

      Brace yourself? You're going to hear that one a lot if you choose this word name for your baby son, as a handful of parents in the US did in a recent year. One reason for this word is being used as a name: It rhymes with the popular Jace.
  14. Rainy
    • Origin:

      Word name or diminutive of Regina, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      The Rainy spelling puts this name firmly in word name territory, an appealing option following the rise of Stormi. Rainey is the most popular spelling of the name, given to about 50 girls last year, with half as many called Rainy and a quarter named Rainie, the spelling used by Andie MacDowell for her now-grown daughter.
  15. Steele
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "steel"
    • Description:

      This steely surname has a macho image that might feel more appropriate for a romance novel than a baby. But on the upside, it's also sleek and modern, familiar yet unusual, given to only around 100 boys per year in the US.
  16. Cinnabar
    • Origin:

      Word name, English from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "deep red mineral"
    • Description:

      Associated with a vivid red-orange-colored lacquer, would make a more than distinctive color-related choice.
  17. Countess
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "noblewoman"
    • Description:

      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.
  18. Boo
    • Origin:

      Word name or nickname
    • Description:

      Boo may have started out as a nickname for the male character Arthur "Boo" Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird and these days may be closely associated with another male Boo, the "world's cutest dog" or with the adorable little girl in Monsters, Inc.
  19. Freeman
    • Origin:

      Word name or surname name, English
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Another meaningful word name that actually dates back to pre-Emancipation days.
  20. Ax
    • Origin:

      Word name or short form of Axel
    • Description:

      Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby boys named Axe in the US in 2015.