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Names from Criminal Minds
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Kevin
Irish
"handsome"
Kevin came to the US with the large wave of Irish Immigrants after World War I, hitting the US Top 1000 list for the first time in 1921 and never leaving. Though an ancient Irish name -- a Saint…
Mark
Latin
"warlike"
Mark has the rare appeal of a strong, sleek name with a minimalist modern feel and ancient roots. The name Mark is taken from the Roman god of war Mars, also the namesake of the planet. After…
Rachel
Hebrew
"ewe"
Rachel was derived from the Hebrew word rāchēl , meaning "ewe." In the Old Testament, Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. International variations include the…
Paul
Latin
"small"
Paul is an ancient name for boys -- popular in Roman and medieval times -- that's not very fashionable now, which can work in its favor, scarcity balancing simplicity. To the thousands of girls who…
Malcolm
Scottish
"devotee of St. Colomba"
Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is…
Hope
Virtue name
Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be…
Sergio
Italian and Spanish variation of Sergius, Roman family name
"servant"
Widely heard in both Italian and Spanish households, Sergio and his many international brothers are rooted in Sergius, one of the original Roman family names. The meaning is unknown, but possibly is…
Helen
Greek
"torch, shining light"
Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. These days,…
Roy
French or Celtic
"king or red-haired"
We've seen Ray regain his cool, but could this country/cowboy name epitomized by Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye), Acuff, and Clark, do the same? Roy came into use in the late nineteenth century,…
Garrett
Irish variation of Gerard
"spear strength"
Garrett, also spelled with one 't', is an Irish-inflected name that was in the Top 100 in the nineties, but has now slipped in popularity. Perhaps best known now as a Twilight name--Garrett was a…
Dominick
Variation of Latin Dominic
"belonging to the Lord"
This is the second-to-the-original spelling of a name that's part Jersey Shore, part upper-crust British. Dominick gets you more directly to nickname Nick.
Chris
English nickname for Christian, Christopher
"one who carries Christ"
Chris is a long-running nickname used almost equally for boys and girls. While past its prime, Chris stands out as sounding completely appropriate for both sexes, perhaps because of its widespread…
Sam
English, diminutive of Samuel
"told by God"
Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The…
Lara
Russian, diminutive of Larissa or Larisa
"citadel"
This is an alternative to Laura or Lauren made romantic by Dr Zhivago , and badass by video-game heroine Lara Croft. In mythology, Lara was a nymph in Ovid's Fasti known for her beauty and inability…
Kelly
Irish
"war"
Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex Irish names . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.
Haley
English
"hay field"
The second most popular spelling of this name is also the most straightforward.
Aaron Hotchner
Baldwin
German
"brave friend"
One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.
Brenda
Scottish
"blade of a sword"
First the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's 1822 novel The Pirate , then a glamorous 1940s debutante, then the troubled twin on Beverly Hills 90210, and now fading in favor of more modern Brenna, Briana,…
Cara
Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese
"dear; friend; face"
Cara is a simple, sweet, Italian endearment that enjoyed its greatest popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, reaching a high of Number 189 in 1977. Despite the rising celebrity of English…