Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Hebrew
"enemy"
Biblical name from the Old Testament.
African, Swahili
"savage"
The name of the hyena character in The Lion King was clearly chosen for it's villainous meaning—not exactly one you want for a baby, but if you can get past that, it's a nice name.
Word name
"person who fires a gun; member of a sports team who scores goals"
More than 300 babies have been named Shooter in the US since 2002, which, depending on who you ask, is arguably about 300 too many. One of the violent names for boys that have gained traction in…
English word name
One of the aggressive new boys' names, ala Tracker and Heller, that have become fashionable among parents who are courting trouble.
Word or occupational name
"outlaw, thief"
We hesitate to call Bandit an occupational name, any more than Rogue or Vandal are occupational names, yet its use by one of the bandmembers of My Chemical Romance (for his daughter: we're thinking…
Roman
"stammerer"
The Ancient Roman Balbina is the feminine form of Balbus or Balbinus. While certainly unique, it's hard to imagine this name will go far in the modern English-speaking world.
"injured, oppressed"
Extremely rare yet with an on trend sound, although the meaning may put parents off.
"desolation"
Azubah is one of those unique baby names from the Bible that is both uncommon and usable, especially given that trendy letter Z in the middle. Azubah's sad meaning may be a strike against it. There…
Hebrew, feminine variation of Tavor
"break, fracture"
Tavora is an attractive option, based on the name of a mountain in northern Israel. But the meaning of Tavora and brother name Tavor is less than optimal.
"ruin, destruction"
An uncommon biblical name, Abaddon is the name of an angel of abyss in the New Testament. A totally cool name for a fictional character perhaps, though on a child it might be too reminiscent of the…
"wild goat, silly old fool"
A biblical name -- he was the father of Abraham -- but the father's name is much less appealing than the son's, in both sound and meaning.
Greek
"inevitable, inflexible"
Atropos is one of the three Fates of Greek Mythology. She and her sisters determined life from birth to death—Atropos determined how one would die and would cut the thread of life. Her Roman…
"Avenging murder"
The name of one of the Furies in Greek mythology, a goddess who avenged crimes of murder. She is described as wearing a dripping blood-red robe, with a serpent coiled around her waist.
Spanish word name
"tornado"
Tornado first meant thunderstorm and only later came to mean whirlwind, the common modern meaning. More recently, Tornado is the first name of a tennis-playing teen whose sister is called the equally…
Scottish from Norse
"Thor's cauldron"
Torquil, is a quirky but intriguing option that evolved from an ancient Scandinavian name and was imported into Scotland by the Vikings. The Gaelic form of the name is Torcaill. Torquil MacLeod was…
Latin
"armpit"
A star system in Sagittarius, so one of the most appropriate names for December babies .
Wrecker is a new entry to the newly trendy group of badass baby names -- names mostly for boys that sound wild (or Wilder) and summon the kind of kid that races around (Racer), breaking things…
Combination of Jesse and James, Hebrew
"God exists and supplanter"
While still rare, this compound name for boys jumped nearly 3000 places in rank last year, perhaps thanks to its cowboy-core vibe and its bad boy image.
American word or occupational name
Another bad boy occupational name, joining Bandit, Rogue, and Gunner, though Vandal feels more obviously destructive. The Vandals were a tribe that swept through Europe and North Africa in the sixth…
Swahili
"she cries"
Lilting African name that translates perfectly into other cultures.
