Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 46 pages
of 46
Spanish place name, English word name
"Boii home"
More a concept than a place — or a name. The place name Bohemia ultimately derives from the tribe name Boii with the German heim , meaning "home".
English word name, nature name, and surname name
While Hill reads as a nickname for Hillary, adding an S puts it in the same category as plural nature names like Rivers and Brooks. It also softens the name's image: one hill is an obstacle, but many…
Word name
As a personal name, it may not have much history, but it certainly suggests the subject.
English word name
"slow, sad, songs of lamentation; a music genre of black American folk origin"
While Ivy Blue has made the color a more popular choice for girls, Blues — as in the musical style — could feel more masculine. While some may find it a sad and gloomy choice, thanks to the phrase…
A name best for pets.
"beloved"
Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn't work out so well for that Beloved.
"an immature bean pod used as a vegetable"
The unisex word name Bean, distant cousin of the infamous Apple, was used for the name of a child in Louise Penny's novel "A Rule Against Murder." A cute choice, it's likely best reserved for a…
Word name or short form of Barnaby or Barnabus
"son of comfort"
Once you get past thinking of it as a red-painted building where they keep cows and hay, has a nice plainspoken country-like feel and may make a cooler diminutive than the still-purple Barney.
Bamboo is a plant name that you might want to save for the zoo's name-the-panda contest. It was used for a starbaby in 2000, though, the rapper Big Boi.
Word name or short form of Axel
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…
Sure it makes a big statement, but if you can call your child Wren, Robin or Falcon, why not also Hummingbird. This pint-sized jewel of a bird is a lovely connotation for the baby that's full of…
Sure it makes a big statement, but if you can call your child Wren, Robin or Falcon, why not also Hummingbird? This pint-sized jewel of a bird is a lovely connotation for the baby that's full of…
When actress Shannyn Sossamon dubbed her newborn Audio Science, it sent out some definite shock waves. We don't recommend Audio or Video for even the most intrepid baby namer.
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…
Warm and open, but way too much teasing potential.
Spanish from Native American word name
"hurricane"
Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an American name , thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys…
French word name
"truce, ceasefire"
Armistice is an unusual word name with a meaning that's both militaristic and peaceful. It refers to a ceasefire, temporary or permanent, by agreement in wartime. Armistice Day in celebrated on the…
Illumination is a many-syllabled entrant in the new-fashioned virtue name group, but doesn't stand much chance of rivaling shorter choices like Hope and Faith.
Often used in connection with poetry, Imagery has potential as an unusual name. Perhaps you'll get a daydreamer with this one.
One Puritan virtue name unlikely to thrive in the 21st century.
