Funky Names I Want To Remember

Helio

Spanish

"the sun"

More familiar to English speakers in the Italian Elio form.

Mannix

Irish

"a little monk"

An X -ending surname less common than the Jolie-Pitt-inspired Maddox. Grandparents might still associate it with the old TV crime show.

Neo

Latin or Tswana

"new or gift"

This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an…

Sasha

Russian diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

The energetic Russian nickname name Sasha is being used increasingly on its own, though since the prominence of the First Daughter, more than 90% of the American babies named Sasha are girls. Sacha…

Saturn

Roman mythology name

If you've rejected all the names on earth, you might move on to the sixth planet from the sun, also the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, and the origin of Saturday.

Storm

Word name

Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the…

Tybalt

Medieval form of Theobald

"from bold people"

Similar in sound to the French "Thibault", which is far more popular, Tybalt is best known as the bloodlustful and brawling cousin of Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Perhaps this…

Zoltan

Hungarian

"sultan"

Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…

Thoren

Norse and Scandinavian

"thunder"

As the mythological Thor morphs into a modern baby name, the variations Thoren and Thorin feel like real possibilities, not just in Scandinavia but around the Western world.

Quill

Irish, English

"lion; scribe, writer with a quill pen"

First appearing in the US stats back in 2013, this wordy choice fits in with the likes of Sonnet, Poetry, Fable, and Story as a literary option for writers, fans of classic literature, and those who…

Night

Word name

An ubercool and mysterious name, brought to you by director M. Night Shyamalan.

Falcon

Bird name

There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.

Diaz

Spanish from Latin

"days"

Perfect example of a surname that would work well as a first.

Deegan

Irish

"dark-haired"

This name shares sounds with Keagan and Teagan, but has its own roots in Irish culture. It comes from the surname O'Duibhginn, meaning "descendent of the dark-haired one". Freestyle Motocross rider…

Xerxes

Persian

"hero among heroes"

The two X's may be a challenge for even the most intrepid baby namer. Xerxes was the name of two early kings of Persia and the Handel opera Serse or Xerxes is loosely based on Xerxes I.

Zeno

Anglicized form of Greek Zenon, related to Zeus, king of the gods

Zeno, the name of two ancient philosophers, has a muscular dynamism that's lightened by its cheerful final vowel, resulting in a kind of offbeat sci-fi feel. Zeno of Citium was the founder of the…

Halifax

Place-name

If you want to honor your grandfather Hal but can't work up much enthusiasm for his full name Harold, consider the more stylish (if a bit pretentious) capital of Nova Scotia.