YET MORE names I adore to the moon and back

Oliver

Germanic, Latin

"elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree"

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts throughout the English-speaking world and in a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to…

Josiah

Hebrew

"God supports, heals"

Josiah—a biblical name with lots of quaint, old-fashioned charm—makes a much fresher sounding alternative to either Joseph or Joshua, combining the best of both. Josiah is among the several Biblical…

Adriel

Hebrew

"God is my master"

This biblical name is getting wider notice. While Adrian has had its time in the limelight since the late 70s, parents are beginning to look for fresher alternatives. In the Bible, Adriel was the…

Jaxon

Spelling variation of Jackson

"son of Jack"

Jaxon has been mostly climbing in popularity since it entered the Top 1000 in 1997, proving that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson by giving it this streamlined spelling.…

Grant

Scottish from French

"large"

One-time beach-boy compadre of Glenn, Greg, and Gary that originated as a nickname for a tall person, Grant has become a no-nonsense, career-oriented grown-up and one that is seeing new appreciation.…

Richard

German

"dominant ruler"

A classic old Norman name popular for a thousand years and favored for kings (Richard Nixon was named for Richard the Lionhearted), as well as the hoi polloi (as in every Tom, Dick and Harry),…

Eric

Old Norse

"eternal ruler"

Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, from the components ei , meaning "ever," and ríkr , "rule." It was adopted by English speakers in the mid-nineteenth century, who were already familiar…

Dakota

Place-name; Sioux

"friendly one"

An early and still one of the most popular unisex names , also a place name and name of a Native American people in the northern Mississippi valley, which makes it a controversial baby name choice.…

Lawson

English

"son of Lawrence"

Appealing way, à la Dawson, to honor an ancestral Lawrence. Lawson is also an English pop rock band. Lawson has history or use that dates far back, but it fell off of the charts in 1950. The name…

Cayden

Modern invented name, English

"battle"

Cayden is one of the many spellings of this popular name, made all the more popular when they're counted together. According to our annual playground analysis , sound-wise at least, Cayden is the…

Raiden

Japanese, English invented name

The name of the Japanese god of thunder makes an assertive choice, very much at home in the Western world. Because of the name's similarity to popular baby names Aiden and Jayden, most people will…

Ridge

English word name

"an elevated body part or structure"

Ridge may be the quintessential daytime drama name, but it's still better than most. This is one word name rising rapidly through the ranks, reentering the US Top 1000 in 2015 for the first time…

Zachariah

Hebrew, form of Zechariah

"the Lord has remembered"

This distinguished name still feels a bit ancient, but with the rise of such former graybeards as Jeremiah and Elijah, it also sounds child-friendly again, as does the Latin-Greek form Zacharias.…

Porter

English from French occupational name

"doorkeeper or carrier"

It may surprise you to know that surname name Porter was fairly popular in the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries, then went underground for 40 years only to reemerge at the turn of this century…

Shawn

Spelling variation of Sean

"God is gracious"

Shawn is a phonetic spelling of Sean that may be past its peak – it was a Top 30 name in the early 1970s – but is still quite popular for boys: over 500 baby boys were named Shawn in the US in the…