User-created list
names that are words
Across 17 pages
of 17
Lovely
English word name
"exquisitely beautiful"
Word names are often genderless, but Lovely feels particularly feminine (cue Isn't She Lovely? by Stevie Wonder). Chris Brown chose this name for his daughter, born in 2022, which may give the name a…
Magic
Word name
A name that's appeared out of thin air, in the same vein as such mystical favorites as Destiny and Nevaeh.
Maple
English tree name from Latin
"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"
Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…
Mauve
French
"violet-colored"
Mauve is an offbeat color name whose soft and sentimental Victorian spirit is conveyed by the name. One of the newer color names like Blue, Gray and Plum that are increasingly being used as novel…
Memory
English word name
"recollection"
There's no reason why Memory shouldn't be a name — it sounds like Melody and Mallory, is a pleasant word, and has great nickname options (Rory! Mimi!). Plus, there's that earworm song from Cats .
Menorah
Hebrew word name
"candelabra"
The menorah is a widely recognizable and symbolic piece of Judaica. The word refers to any Judaic candelabra but is commonly associated with the special nine-branch candelabra used during Hanukkah.…
Modesty
Latin
"modesty"
Modesty is a virtue name dating to Roman times, but never widely used, except for hot 1960s movie spoof heroine, Modesty Blaise, based on a comic strip.
Monday
Word name
Not most people's favorite day, but a pretty name.
Moon
Word name
At one time, Moon might have felt like a celebrity-only option, memorably chosen by Frank Zappa for his daughter Moon Unit. Now, with Sunny, Goldie, Wren, Star, Storm, Ocean, Onyx, and Scout in the…
Morning
Word name
There are many lovely day/month/seasonal names -- and this is one of the most intriguing.
Moxie
English slang
"aggressive energy, know-how"
Like Penn Jillette, you can have your own little brash babe.
My
Swedish diminutive of Maria
"bitter; wished-for child"
Although the sound is pretty, "my" is too common of an English word for My to be usable as a baby name in Anglophone countries.
Mystery
Word name
Pretty sound, provocative meaning, but a little over-the-top.
Marijuana
Night
Word name
Dark and enigmatic. A baby named Night would follow in the African tradition of day naming—naming a child based on the day of the week, time of day, or season in which he or she was born.
Novella
Novella is a feminine name with Latin and Italian roots, derived from 'novus' meaning 'new' or 'young.' Beyond its literal meaning, Novella carries literary associations as it refers to a short prose…
Obedience
Virtue name
It may have been used by the Puritans, but any modern child would chafe under this name.
October
English word name
"month name"
What is so rare as a month named June? October – and November and December – are a lot rarer. Brisk and substantial, they're so much more memorable and modern than April or May. October got its name…
Passion
English word name
" strong and barely controllable emotion"
A word name with religious and secular significance.
Patience
Latin virtue name
"ability to accept or tolerate inconveniences, and suffering without anxiety or anger"
Patience is a passive virtue turned engaging name, fresher than Hope, Faith, or even Charity. Its resemblance to the trendy Payton may be one reason that it returned to the US charts back in the 90's…