Nature, Place and Word Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Welsh and Romanian variation of Theodore, Teodor, or Theodoric
"gift from God; ruler of the people"
Known as a British royal family line as well as a style of architecture, this name feels both solemn and formidable, but with an intriguing "dark-academia" feel to it too. Currently in the Top 1000…
French occupational surname
"a merchant"
Mercer is one fashionable occupational name that can work as well for girls as boys, perhaps because of the soft c or the conventionally feminine nickname Mercy.
French and English
"beautiful rose"
A felicitous combo of two sweet names; also a Queens, New York neighborhood.
Latin
"unwilling"
A saucy Latin name that also defines a trendy New York area north of Little Italy.
Hebrew
"house of mercy"
Unlike other place names, this one might be tied too tightly to a single locale -- the Maryland suburb of D. C. -- to work as a first name.
Diminutive of Minna or Wilhelmina, German
"child of the red earth"
Minetta is one of those names that's a diminutive of a diminutive -- Minna, a pan-European nickname that can be short for many names beginning or ending in Mina. Minetta may be most famous as Minetta…
English from Greek
"stable"
Eustace was originally popularized by St. Eustace, who was born a Norman nobleman and is said to have been converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of the deer he was…
Scottish surname
"son of the blond one"
For theater-loving parents — an homage to one of our premiere playwrights.
Anglicized variation of Irish Cearbhall
"hacking with a weapon"
This name was consistently in the boys' Top 200 until WW2. It's a name with so many dimensions to it: the hyper-masculine meaning, the surname-as-firstname trendiness, and the softer sound and…
Feminization of Anson, English
"son of Agnes"
Sounds too much like the name of a hotel.
American place-name
Tribeca was the term created for New York City's TRIangle BElow CAnal Street. Stangely enough--that aside--it almost does sound like a plausible girls' name , nicknamed Becca.
English
"from the Iron One's estate"
A noble surname from northern England that has occasionally been used as a first name.
German
"peaceful warrior"
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond…
French
"from Lancey"
This is an energetic dance of an Irish surname, great for both genders. Could also be spelled Delancy.
Italian
"green"
This is an outside possibility for opera-lovers, with the additional eco/color factor.
Invented name, variation of Juna, English from Latin
"born in June; young; moon"
Novelist Djuna Barnes introduced this interesting and unusual name with an arty, Bohemian feel to the mix. She explained that it was invented by her father, saying it came about as a combination of…
"farm near the river"
Wharton is a rather stiff banker name that becomes creative as a middle name choice for lovers of the novels of writer Edith.
Irish
"dark"
This Irish surname packs a lot of attitude, projecting an image of spunk and sass. The Welsh singer Duffy, born Aimee Anne Duffy, is best known for her songs Mercy and Warwick Avenue.
"from the yew estate"
Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…
Ellisha is a feminine name that appears to be a creative spelling variation of Elisha, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'God is my salvation.' While the biblical Elisha was male (a prophet and…
