Australian Names: Aussie Favorites

Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."

With its cool -X ending, Jax is an update on the classic nickname Jack, likely inspired by the rise of Jackson. It garnered attention in the US thanks to the game, Mortal Kombat II back in the '90s, and was pushed up the charts when it was used in the show Sons of Anarchy, in which Jackson "Jax" Teller is the central character.

Lucinda, an elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his 1605 novel Don Quixote, is a pleasingly pretty alternative to Lucy. It was subsequently used by Moliere in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself' (1666). More in tune with the times than Linda, Belinda and Melinda, it could be used to honor someone with one of those dated names.

Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.

A true maverick of a girls' name — even more so with this spelling, the least common between Indie, Indy, and Indi.

Anike is an attractive name with ties to several cultures, both African and Scandinavian. The African pronunciation emphasizes the second syllable while the Nordic one emphasizes the first. While there will be inevitable confusion over pronunciation, either form is "correct".

In the Noongar language of Western Australia, Bindi means butterfly. Bindi is usually seen as a girls' name, as seen in Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin.

When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda, Banjo Patterson, is known by this name. Sprightly and musical, it could blend in with Bruno, Benjamin and Joey.

Taj is a cool-sounding name reflecting the magnificence of the seventeenth-century Indian Taj Mahal, chosen by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for his son.

Dimity is fairly common in Australia, but unheard of outside of it, which is surprising given its similarity to names like Amity, Verity, and Cassidy.

Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily.

For most, Eureka will be tied up with the bathtub myth of Archimedes' discovery of volumetric displacement, making it linked to the idea of invention, discovery and innovation. Some Australians might more closely link it to the Eureka stockade, a 19th Century rebellion of miners and workers against the colonial British government. Amanda Knox named her baby girl Eureka in 2021.

This Australian name can have other spellings such as Allira, Alirah and Aleara. We prefer this spelling which keeps confusion and mispronunciation to a minimum.

The Sydney spelling most popular for girls: it's in the Top 50 on the female side. Cool for a girl, still nerdy for a guy.

Traditionally pronounced "ming-iz" and thus the relationship to the jazzy Mingus, Menzies is an old Scottish surname related to the more common Manners.

Rosella can be seen as a nature name (a rosella is the name of a variety of beautiful Australian cockatoos and an Australian flower) or a diminutive version of Rose.

Pronounced like Jay, this short name is popular in South Asia and makes for a great English-South Asian crossover choice, used regularly in the UK and Australia. It can also be an alternate spelling of the English name Jay, either short for a J name or deriving from the name of the bird.

Jarrah is the name of a beautiful Australian tree famous for its richly-colored red timber and lovely scent. Jarrah may be used for both girls and boys.

Half-way between Logan and Rowan, Lowan could be an interesting pick for parents looking for an off-the-beaten-track nature name.

This Yaygir Aboriginal name is the name of two towns in Australia and is also occasionally spotted as a name. Meaning "by the sea" the name is perfect for beach-going families.