User-created list
By FractalShadow · Updated May 2023
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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…
English and Scottish occupational name
"ringer of the bell"
Simplicity and pleasant associations give the word Bell real possibility as a first name -- but somehow it seems better for a girl, a la Belle.
Word name
If you don't want to limit yourself to one month of the year, this unique baby name offers the plus of the friendly nickname, Cal.
Toni Morrison, a master of character naming, coined this one for the best friend of hero Milkman Dead in Song of Solomon . Definitely a cool choice, with a twang.
Greek
"kingfisher bird"
Heaven, Peace, Serenity: parents seem especially attracted to word names that signal paradise, but Halcyon sounds quite feminine, and might conjure up the sleeping pill Halcion.
Basque
"Shadow"
The Basque name, meaning shadow, has the virtue of having both an interesting meaning and an obvious pronunciation.
Bird name
Meadowlark Lemon, known as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters, played professional basketball for an astonishing 40 years. Lemon's original name was Meadow, as was his father's and his…
Newberry is a masculine name that originated as an English surname before transitioning to occasional first-name usage. The surname has topographic origins, combining 'new' with 'berry' or 'burgh'…
Ovila is a rare masculine name with Latin origins, derived from the word 'ovilis' meaning 'relating to sheep.' It could be considered a variation of Avila or related to names like Ovid. The name has…
Literary name
"head dragon, chief warrior"
The epithet of the legendary king's father Uther in Arthurian legend, later also applied to King Arthur himself. It literally means "head dragon" or "dragon's head", but the name appears in medieval…
Music name
If Banjo can be a name, why not Piano? Could be inspired by prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.
Pinky is an unconventional masculine name that originated as a nickname before occasionally being used as a given name. It typically refers to the smallest finger on the hand or the pinkish color. As…
Native American, Comanche
"sweet smelling, fragrant"
Name of a major figure in Indigenous history, Quanah Parker, a Comanche chief who became a judge on the Court of Indian Affairs. Quanah is derived from the Comanche word kwana , meaning "odor" or…
Mineral name
This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.
English
"scribe"
Heard in a sixties spy movie, The Quiller Memorandum , this uncommon occupational name has an offbeat charm.
