Creative Baby Names

Ellsworth

English

"nobleman's estate"

One of the many El- names for boys that boomed in the 1910s and 1920s, but has long been out of fashion. This surname/place name has an aristocratic flavor, and a creative namesake in the artist…

Gulliver

Irish

"glutton"

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors…

Baldwin

German

"brave friend"

One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.

Takashi

Japanese

"noble; prosperous; venerable"

Common Japanese name associated with contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.

Knoll

English and German surname

"dweller near the hill; lump"

An architectural take on Noel. Knoll honors Florence Knoll, the Michigan-born modernist architect and furniture designer. Her namesake company still produces her designs today. Knoll first charted in…

Amedeo

Italian form of Amadeus

"lover of God"

This euphonious Italian Italian name for boys , often associated with the painter Modigliani, makes a recommended creative choice. The Spanish tend to spell it Amadeo.

Kesey

Irish literary name, variation of Casey

Kesey is a possible literary hero name honoring Merry Prankster Ken Kesey, whose characters flew over the cuckoo's nest. Kesey rhymes with easy.

Kehinde

Yoruba

"second-born of twins or one who falls behind"

This African name, which derives from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, is used for both girls and boys -- but in the US, its most notable bearer is (male) artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley, who paints brown-…

Venturi

Italian

"good luck"

The name of prize-winning American architect Robert Venturi would make a somewhat awkward first.

Keats

English literary name

"kite"

Poetic and easy to pronounce (it's keets), this is one of many poets' names to consider, such as Auden, Eliot, Frost, Byron, Lorca, Marlowe, Blake, Emerson and Tennyson. Likely meaning "kite", in…

Woolf

Variation of Wolf, animal name

The spelling Woolf inevitably conjures writer Virginia. If you're a fan of Mrs. Dalloway and the Bloomsbury group, Woolf might be a creative way to combine a trendy animal name with an original honor…

Xan

Diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.

Mies

Dutch, diminutive of Bartholomeus

"son of the earth"

Apt choice for an architect's child, honoring German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a central figure in modern design, and universally referred to as Mies.