Summer Baby Names

Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, pronounced with the accent on the second syllable.

Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother. But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021, and it was last on the charts for boys in 2018, when six baby boys got the name.

A sweet Scottish short form of Alexander which is feeling newly appealing now the era of Sandra is far behind us. Sandy would also work well as a nickname for a child with pale red or dark blond hair.

Marguerite is a classic French name with a remnant of old-fashioned Gallic charm; and is also a variety of daisy. Chic again in Paris, it's definitely ripe for revival here.

This name of the bright orange flower found in Asia has been used occasionally in English-speaking countries. A notable namesake is Tiger Lily, the Native American princess from Peter Pan. Read more about Tiger Lily and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Jubilee has a joyous and jubilant aura, but it wouldn't be an easy name to carry, what with all that pressure to be a living, breathing, 24-7 party. Jubilee was the name selected by television's Duggars for their miscarried child.

If you like names that are not really names -- some say, the wave of the future -- Harbor has an attractive sound as well as an appealing meaning and image.

Vela is one of those rare names that is at once simple, straightforward, authentic, and unusual, at least in the Western World. Besides being an Indian girls' name, Vela is a Southern sky constellation whose name is Latin for sail – originally part of the Argo Navis constellation.

Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents. In 2024, it was given to 483 boys and 325 girls, making this a unisex favorite in the US, while in the UK, it is considerably more popular for girls.

Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.

Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback.

The name of the young Greek sun god, brother to the moon goddess Selene, who rode across the sky each day in a chariot pulled by four horses.

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.

Solal is a trendy choice in France, where it's primarily a literary name. It featured in an eponymous novel by Albert Cohen published in 1930, as well as two sequels. Another famous French bearer is the singer Solal, born Laurent Morhain, known for his roles in musical comedies. The grandson of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is also named Solal.

A spiritual word name used by actor Zoe Saldana for her son as well as more recently Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott for their late son. Zen has been trending in recent years along with other spiritual names such as Bodhi and Zion, and recently entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

Llyr is a name with a great meaning and a lovely sound, but that sound is going to be next to impossible to get non-Welsh speaking people to pronounce (google the double L sound in Welsh). If you are outside Wales, you may wish to consider the Irish alternative Lir, which has the same meaning and an easier sound.

A contemporary Welsh name, Hafwen is made up of the popular wen element of Bronwen, Gwyneth, and similar, and haf, the Welsh word for "summer". Appearing quietly and sporadically in the England and Wales stats, it's a sunny and underused choice. Related names include the simple Haf and the poetic spins of the name, Hefin for boys and Hefina for girls.

Trippy variation on Hayes, popular enough to have been given to 135 baby boys in the US last year.

Elidi is intriguing but potentially confusing. Try the French Elodie instead.

Less common than other virtue names, Liberty is nonetheless a name with a long American heritage.