Naming the rainbow
- Ivory
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"hard, white material from the tusks and teeth of animals; pale, white"Description:
Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000, while 2024 saw it jump up the charts again by over 100 places, making it a To 500 name.
- Azure
Origin:
English color name, PersianMeaning:
"sky blue; lapis lazuli"Description:
Azure is a colorful gender-neutral choice, currently used equally for baby girls and boys in the US. It refers to a specific shade of blue seen in a cloudless sky. Elon Musk revealed Azure to be the name of his daughter with Shivon Zilis, twin sister to Strider.
- Tiffany
Origin:
English variation of Theophania, GreekMeaning:
"of divine manifestation"Description:
One of the first luxury brand names and the quintessential Booming Eighties status-conscious moniker; used by Donald Trump for his daughter, Tiffany has plummeted far from its high in the Top 25.
- Wisteria
Origin:
Flower name, from English surnameMeaning:
"Wister's flower"Description:
A frilly southern-accented flower name yet to be planted on many birth certificates. In the language of flowers, the wisteria is a symbol of devotion. It is named for American horticulturalist John Caspar Wister.
- Sapphire
Origin:
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin jewel nameMeaning:
"blue"Description:
Sapphire goes waaaaay beyond Ruby and Pearl. This September birthstone, occasionally used a century ago, might be worth a reappraisal, perhaps as a Sophie/Sophia alternative. Sapphire is the pseudonym of Romona Lofton, who wrote the book Push, which was turned into the movie Precious. Sapphire entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, and is proving to be one of the freshest gem names for girls. Another intriguing variation is the lovely Sapphira.
- Lilac
Origin:
English, from PersianMeaning:
"bluish or lilac"Description:
Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well, providing a ready made nursery theme. In addition, the lilac is symbolic of first love.
- Viridian
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"blue green color"Description:
Unusual and beautiful blue green color and name possibility, a la Cerulean.
- Emerald
Origin:
Gem name; PersianMeaning:
"green"Description:
Emerald is the intriguing color and jewel name of the deep green stone treasured as far back as ancient Egypt — it's supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening relationships — which could make for an interesting, unusual name, particularly with the popularity of so many Em-starting names.
- Cobalt
Origin:
Color and nature nameDescription:
Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.
- Slate
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
One of the more unusual of the current crop of strong, single-syllable boys' names, evoking the images of both old-fashioned blackboards and modern stepping-stones and countertops.
- Scarlet
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
The Scarlet spelling makes it less a name, less Gone With The Wind and Scarlett Johansson, and more the bright red color that inspired it in the first place.
- Grey
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey.
- Plum
Origin:
Fruit nameDescription:
British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.
- Cerise
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"cherry"Description:
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
- Amethyst
Origin:
Gem and Color nameDescription:
As flower names become more unique, so can gem names move beyond Ruby and Pearl to names like Topaz, Sapphire, and Peridot. Amethyst, the purple birthstone for February, has never been in the Top 1000, but could have some appeal, joining similarly-hued Violet and Lilac, all of which make great names for Aquarius babies or names for February babies.
- Blue
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
- Jet
Origin:
Mineral and word nameDescription:
This super-charged variation of Jett is on the rise -- along with the unlikely newcomer Jetson.
- Copper
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"a reddish brown mineral"Description:
More unique than Cooper, and a favorite among pet parents. Copper was the loveable bloodhound from Disney's Fox and the Hound. Keep in mind that Copper is also slang for a policeman.
- Cyan
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"greenish blue color"Description:
Cyan is a highly unusual blue-green color name, a classmate of Celadon and Cerulean. It does come with the homey nickname Cy.
- Fuchsia
Origin:
Plant and color nameMeaning:
"vivid purplish-red; tubular flower"Description:
A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan. Another bearer is Fuchsia Voremberg, a member of the BBC Show, Antiques Roadshow who specializes in diaries and manuscripts.
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