Dogger Names

Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."

Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look.

Can Ernie shed the rubber ducky association and make its way onto the vintage revivals list? Years ago we may have said no, but celebrity chef Stephanie Izard made a strong case for Ernie when she gave the name to her son in 2016. Princess Eugenie uses Ernie as a nickname for son Ernest, born in 2023 - showing that Ernie could be the next Augie.

Arguably, an even more Anglicized spelling of László than Laszlo, this stripped back form of the Hungarian name has begun to see occasional use in the US, though the longer spelling is still twice as popular. Given to 13 boys in a recent count, the name ultimately comes from the Slavic Vladislav.

Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland.

Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora.

The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan.

The most minimalist of names, Ed is decidedly out -- though that usually means it's due to swing back in. More stylish these days: Ned or even Ted.

Bev is primarily a feminine name that originated as a short form of Beverly, which was initially an English surname derived from a place name meaning 'beaver stream.' This concise, single-syllable name carries a friendly, approachable quality that became particularly popular in the mid-20th century. Bev gained independent usage during the 1950s and 1960s when nickname forms were often given as formal names. While its popularity has declined since its peak, Bev retains a vintage charm and unpretentious warmth. It exemplifies the mid-century trend of short, efficient names and continues to be appreciated for its simplicity and nostalgic appeal.