Nautical Names
By Bassilly
Updated Thu May 18 2023
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Anchors aweigh and batten down the hatches! Nautical names are underway!
- Grace
Origin:
English, virtue nameDescription:
Grace, a simple and pure virtue name which originally referred to divine grace, is a fashionable classic. In the early 2000s, it seemed headed for the Top 10 but pulled back from the upward trajectory, which you may consider a very good thing.
- Andrew
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"strong and manly"Description:
During its Top 10 heyday in the late 90s and early oughts, Andrew was one of the "cooler" classic boy names, an update on the old guard Roberts and Richards.
- Easton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"eastern town"Description:
Easton is a stylish Ivy League-ish place and surname name, more modern than Weston, on its way up for both sexes as part of the new direction baby names are taking, as in North and West. Easton was used for her son by Jenna Elfman--and by Elizabeth Rohm for her daughter.
- Ivan
Origin:
Russian variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool.
- Haven
Origin:
Word name, EnglishMeaning:
"a place of safety"Description:
Haven is a recently invented safe-harbor name that appeals to an increasing number of parents who don't want to voyage quite as far as Heaven.
- Crew
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a band or force of armed men"Description:
Crew is yet another word name that was added to the baby name lexicon when this one was chosen by The Young and the Restless star Joshua Morrow for his son. It debuted on the Top 1000 in 2010. We've also heard spelling variations Cru and Crue.
- Fiona
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"white, fair"Description:
Fiona entered the American consciousness with the opening of the 1954 Broadway musical Brigadoon, but didn't come onto the U.S. popularity list until 1990.
- Admiral
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"a high rank in the navy"Description:
This title name definitely makes a statement. Will Admiral fit in with the Saints, Kings, and Knights joining the playground?
- Captain
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"person in charge"Description:
A commanding word name that feels occupational like Miller, Palmer, and Shepherd, while also fitting in with ambitious choices like Legend, King, Major, Maverick, and Saint. Referring to someone who takes the lead and holds influence and responsibility, Captain has links to team sports, the military, seafaring, superheroes, and the police.
- Ocean
Origin:
English, nature nameMeaning:
"ocean"Description:
Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents. In 2024, it was given to 483 boys and 325 girls, making this a unisex favorite in the US, while in the UK, it is considerably more popular for girls.
- Commodore
Description:
Commodore is a masculine name derived from the military naval rank, which originated from the French 'commandeur' and Latin 'commendare' meaning 'to entrust' or 'to command.' As a given name, it gained limited usage in the United States during the 19th century, reflecting the nation's growing naval power and admiration for military titles. The name carries strong connotations of authority, leadership, and nautical tradition. While never widely popular, Commodore occasionally appeared as both a first and middle name for boys, particularly in families with naval connections or patriotic values. The name experienced a slight resurgence of interest with the popularity of Commodore computers in the 1980s. Today, it remains a rare choice that conveys strength and distinguished heritage.
- Charley
Origin:
Spelling variation of Charlie, FrenchMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Charlie and its many forms are on the rise -- including Charley, which relates more directly to the male formal name Charles. Surprisingly, though, while the number of girls and boys named Charlie are nearly even, there are six times as many girls named Charley than boys.
- Jones
Origin:
English surname derived from JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
This quintessentially common last name makes a distinctive if first, given to more than 230 babies in the US in the most recent year counted. It has doubled in use over the last decade.
- Afton
Origin:
Place-nameMeaning:
"Æffa's farmstead"Description:
A Scottish town and river name, Afton has a cool, contemporary sound, similar to Alden, Austen, Effie, and Aspen. Derived from Old English, it could mean "Æffa's farmstead", Æffa being an Anglo-Saxon given name of unknown meaning.
- Echo
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"echo or sound"Description:
Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse. Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love.
- Derrick
Origin:
Spelling variation of Derek, English from German form of Theodoric,"the people's ruler"Meaning:
"the people's ruler"Description:
Derek is one of those names that, in its heyday, spawned lots of variations, all trendy. Last year, about 300 baby boys were named Derrick and about 1350 were named Derek.
- Bear
Origin:
Animal nameMeaning:
"bear"Description:
Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape. Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his boy Buddy, and Alicia Silverstone called her son Bear Blu, followed by Kate Winslet's Bear Blaize.
- Delphine
Origin:
French from GreekMeaning:
"of Delphi; womb"Description:
Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed to be the womb of the earth. All of these derive from the Greek word delphus "womb".
- Dock
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"enclosed area of water in a port for ships to load and unload"Description:
A sailing and sea-related choice, which also feels connected to the reparative powers of nature (via dock leaves) and to doctors generally, Dock made the Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th century, though today, it is only quietly and sporadically used.
- Bertha
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"bright, glorious"Description:
Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed by Allied soldiers "Big Bertha" in World War I, this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to imagine now, Bertha was a Top 100 name until the 1930s, and in the 1880s was the seventh most popular name in the land--the equal of Joseph.
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