User-created list
By KylieLocke · Updated May 2023
Across 9 pages
of 9
Greek
"from Athens"
Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the…
Latin
"rose, a flower"
Rose is derived from the Latin rosa , which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros…
English
"son of Harry"
Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington…
Scottish
"gravelly homestead"
Well used in England and Scotland since the fifties, the smooth and sophisticated Graham is catching on here. Among the best known bearers are novelist Graham Greene, racing driver Graham Hill and…
"youthful or sky father"
Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis , meaning "youthful";…
Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic
"praised; to be generous, to be good to others"
Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity — but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", both responsible for…
"one, unity"
No longer tied to the hapless Ace Ventura, this jaunty, high-flying nickname name is starting to take flight among celebrity and other parents, with its countless positive references to doing well in…
Mineral or word name
Short, sharp, and cool, Jett is a contemporary choice that connotes both gemstones and jet engines. Rarely used before the 90s, John Travolta, and then George Lucas, helped to put the name on the map…
French variation of Rosalia, Latin
"rose"
Rosalie hit its apex in 1938 and then slid straight downhill until it fell off the U.S. Top 1000 completely in the 1980s, only to spring back to life in 2009 as the name of a character in the…
Italian diminutive of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick. Nico is commonly heard in Italy -- as a short form of Niccolo -- and also in France, Belgium,…
"swarthy, coal black"
Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland. Old King Cole -- which refers to a…
Short form of Stephanie, Greek
"garland, crown"
Stevie survives as a short form of Stephanie thanks to the immortal Ms. Nicks. After a little more than a decade out of the limelight, she rejoined the US Top 1000 in 2014. It is now leading the…
English, Irish
"rye clearing; courageous"
Riley — one of the most popular unisex names — is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000. In fact, after a decade of softening, Riley has recently…
Hebrew
"Jehovah is his God"
In the Old Testament, Joel was one of King David's 'mighty men' and the name was taken up by the Puritans of the sixteenth century. In the mid 1960s, Joel entered the Top 100, and stayed there for…
"God is gracious"
Simple, classic, strong, and versatile, Jane has shrugged off her plain associations to become a short, punchy name with plenty of literary significance. Calling to mind Jane Austen and Jane Eyre ,…
"priest's meadow"
Presley is a much more popular name for little girls than you might think, entering the charts as a girls' name in 1998 and hovering around Number 200 for the last decade. Presley is one of a large…
Latin or English
"dew of the sea, or rosemary (herb)"
Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning dew and Marinus meaning of the sea. The plant was termed dew of…
"by the ash tree"
Nash is an English surname whose sound puts it right in step with currently trendy names like Cash, Dash and Ash. It first came to prominence via TV character Nash Bridges, portrayed by Don Johnson…
"help"
Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in…
Spanish, diminutive of Dolores
"lady of sorrows"
A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to…
