User-created list
Cool Names of People I Know
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Griffin
Welsh, variation of Griffith
"strong lord"
Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983…
Alaina
Variation of Alana or Elena
"little rock, child; shining torch"
Alaina, part Alana and part Elena and maybe also a little bit Elaine, is one of the many feminine forms of Alan (or its French form Alain) that have grown in popularity over recent decades,…
Camille
French
"young ceremonial attendant"
At one time just the sound of the name Camille could start people coughing, recalling the tragic Lady of the Camellias , the heroine played by Greta Garbo in the vintage film based on a Dumas story,…
Lane
English
"a small roadway or path"
Lane is a recent hit name, that could be used for either gender, but is much more popular for boys. It's a surname that projects the pleasant picture of narrow, tree-lined country roads. Holding…
Dakota
Native American tribe and place name; Sioux
"friendly one"
A Native American tribe name which is found in the names of two US states, Dakota was one of the first trendy nineties place names, but is now flagging a little in popularity. The cultural question…
Gabriela
Italian and Spanish, feminine variation of Gabriel
"God is my strength"
This strong yet graceful feminine form of Gabriel is a modern favorite. The double L spelling is given to more than three times as many girls as the Gabriela version.
Orion
Greek
"boundary, limit"
Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones. The Greek mythological Orion was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, was slain by the goddess Artemis,…
Colin
Diminutive of Nicholas or Irish and Scottish
"people of victory; pup"
Thanks to its dashing Anglo-Irish image — due partly to Colins Firth and Farrell — and its C-initialed two-syllable sound, Colin and its cousin Collin have enjoyed a long run of popularity, reaching…
Paige
English, occupational name
"page to a lord"
Paige is more name, and less word than the occupational Page. Paige is also sleek and sophisticated a la Brooke and Blair and reached as high as Number 47 in 2003, when there was a very popular…
Sterling
English
"of the highest quality"
A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets, though it could easily be seen as a virtue-adjacent choice, like Merit, Chosen, or Hero. It has been…
Forrest
English
"dweller near the woods"
Forrest is one of the earliest appealingly sylvan, outdoorsy choices, borne by newsman Sawyer, actor Whitaker, and football Hall of Famer Gregg. Forrest Gates was a character on "Buffy the Vampire…
Astrid
Scandinavian
"divinely beautiful"
Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the…
Reed
English
"red-haired"
A slim, elegant, silvery surname, Reed could be a banker or a sculptor, and therein lies the appeal of this simple yet distinctive name. The versatile Reed can be seen as a grass-like nature name and…
Maia
Greek
"mother"
Maia was derived from the Greek word maia , meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was…
Arielle
French variation of Ariel
"lion of God"
While not as popular as the Ariel spelling of Little Mermaid fame, this rendition has achieved popularity in its own right. Arielle has been on a steady rise, perhaps helped by the -elle ending…
Rowen
Spelling variation of Rowan, Scottish and Irish
"rowan tree; little redhead"
While the Rowan spelling is in the Top 1000 for both boys and girls, this spelling is much more unusual though maintains the same gender split at nearly four boy Rowens for every girl. Rowen climbed…
Marlee
English
"pleasant seaside meadow"
The combined inspiration of reggae master Bob and the dog-loving romp "Marley and Me" catapulted this name up the chart in recent years. But what goes up....
Margo
French, diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the…
Sierra
Spanish
"saw"
Sierra is a name borrowed from the western mountain range, with Latin rhythm and cowboy charm, that has led to many offshoots: Cierra, Cyara, and so on. It is now probably past its peak but retains…
Thalia
Greek
"to flourish"
Thalia was one of the Three Graces in Greek mythology, and also the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry, making this a Hellenic choice worthy of consideration. In the Rick Riordan series Percy Jackson…